Molecular structure and transferability of Tn1546-like elements in Enterococcus faecium isolates from clinical, sewage, and surface water samples in Iran.

ABSTRACT: The molecular structure and transferability of Tn1546 in 143 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) isolates obtained from patients (n = 49), surface water (n = 28), and urban and hospital sewage (n = 66) in Tehran, Iran, were investigated. Molecular characterization of Tn1546 elements in vanA VREF was performed using a combination of restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing of the internal PCR fragments of vanA transposons. Long-PCR amplification showed that the molecular size of Tn1546 elements varied from 10.8 to 12.8 kb. The molecular analysis of Tn1546 showed that 45 isolates (31.5%) harbored a deletion/mutation upstream from nucleotide 170. No horizontal transfer of Tn1546 was observed following filter-mating conjugation with these isolates. Neve

SUBMITTER: Talebi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2258649 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature