A newly discovered Bacteroides conjugative transposon, CTnGERM1, contains genes also found in gram-positive bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Results of a recent study of antibiotic resistance genes in human colonic Bacteroides strains suggested that gene transfer events between members of this genus are fairly common. The identification of Bacteroides isolates that carried an erythromycin resistance gene, ermG, whose DNA sequence was 99% identical to that of an ermG gene found previously only in gram-positive bacteria raised the further possibility that conjugal elements were moving into Bacteroides species from other genera. Six of seven ermG-containing Bacteroides strains tested were able to transfer ermG by conjugation. One of these strains was chosen for further investigation. Results of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis experiments showed that the conjugal element carrying ermG in this strain is an integrated element about

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC169073 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature