Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (K-res), Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North-Norway, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway.
Microbiology (Reading). 2010 Dec;156(Pt 12):3624-3634. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.041491-0. Epub 2010 Sep 3.
The presence, distribution and expression of cassette chromosome recombinase (ccr) genes, which are homologous to the staphylococcal ccrAB genes and are designated ccrAB(Ent) genes, were examined in enterococcal isolates (n=421) representing 13 different species. A total of 118 (28 %) isolates were positive for ccrAB(Ent) genes by PCR, and a number of these were confirmed by Southern hybridization with a ccrA(Ent) probe (n=76) and partial DNA sequencing of ccrA(Ent) and ccrB(Ent) genes (n=38). ccrAB(Ent) genes were present in Enterococcus faecium (58/216, 27 %), Enterococcus durans (31/38, 82 %), Enterococcus hirae (27/52, 50 %), Enterococcus casseliflavus (1/4, 25 %) and Enterococcus gallinarum (1/2, 50 %). In the eight other species tested, including Enterococcus faecalis (n=94), ccrAB(Ent) genes were not found. Thirty-eight sequenced ccrAB(Ent) genes from five different enterococcal species showed 94-100 % nucleotide sequence identity and linkage PCRs showed heterogeneity in the ccrAB(Ent) flanking chromosomal genes. Expression analysis of ccrAB(Ent) genes from the E. faecium DO strain showed constitutive expression as a bicistronic mRNA. The ccrAB(Ent) mRNA levels were lower during log phase than stationary phase in relation to total mRNA. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on 39 isolates. ccrAB(Ent) genes were detected in both hospital-related (10/29, 34 %) and non-hospital (4/10, 40 %) strains of E. faecium. Various sequence types were represented by both ccrAB(Ent) positive and negative isolates, suggesting acquisition or loss of ccrAB(Ent) in E. faecium. In summary, ccrAB(Ent) genes, potentially involved in genome plasticity, are expressed in E. faecium and are widely distributed in the E. faecium and E. casseliflavus species groups.
检测了来自 13 个不同种属的 421 株肠球菌分离株中盒式染色体重组酶(ccr)基因的存在、分布和表达情况,这些基因与葡萄球菌 ccrAB 基因同源,被命名为 ccrAB(Ent)基因。通过 PCR 检测,共有 118 株(28%)分离株为 ccrAB(Ent)基因阳性,其中 76 株通过 ccrA(Ent)探针的 Southern 杂交(n=76)和 ccrA(Ent)和 ccrB(Ent)基因的部分 DNA 测序(n=38)得到了确认。ccrAB(Ent)基因存在于屎肠球菌(58/216,27%)、耐久肠球菌(31/38,82%)、海氏肠球菌(27/52,50%)、黄色肠球菌(1/4,25%)和鸡肠球菌(1/2,50%)中。在其余 8 种被检测的种属中,包括粪肠球菌(n=94),未发现 ccrAB(Ent)基因。来自 5 种不同肠球菌种属的 38 个测序的 ccrAB(Ent)基因显示出 94-100%的核苷酸序列同一性,连接 PCR 显示 ccrAB(Ent)侧翼染色体基因存在异质性。对屎肠球菌 DO 株 ccrAB(Ent)基因的表达分析表明,作为双顺反子 mRNA 存在组成型表达。与总 mRNA 相比,在对数期 ccrAB(Ent)mRNA 水平低于稳定期。对 39 株分离株进行了多位点序列分型。粪肠球菌中的医院相关(10/29,34%)和非医院(4/10,40%)菌株中均检测到 ccrAB(Ent)基因。ccrAB(Ent)阳性和阴性分离株均代表了不同的序列类型,表明粪肠球菌中 ccrAB(Ent)的获得或丢失。总之,参与基因组可塑性的 ccrAB(Ent)基因在屎肠球菌中表达,并广泛分布于屎肠球菌和黄色肠球菌种属群中。