title: A novel integron-like element carrying the metallo-beta-lactamase gene blaIMP.
abstract: A plasmid-mediated metallo-beta-lactamase gene was cloned from a carbapenem-resistant Serratia marcescens strain, AK9373. The metallo-beta-lactamase gene was identical to the blaIMP, and it was located in the space between an integrase-like gene and an aac(6')-Ib-like gene. The deduced amino acid sequence for the putative integrase gene showed considerable identity (60.9%) to that of the Escherichia coli integrase reported. Sequences similar to the GTTRRRY and an atypical 59-base element containing a 67-bp inverted repeat sequence, which were peculiar to the integrase-dependent recombination, were also conserved in the flanking regions of the blaIMP gene. These findings imply that the metallo-beta-lactamase gene in S. marcescens AK9373 is carried by a novel integron-like element that is mediated by a transferable large plasmid.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D015378:Imipenem; D001618:beta-Lactamases