title: Analysis of genes encoding D-alanine:D-alanine ligase-related enzymes in Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus spp.
abstract: Degenerate oligodeoxyribonucleotides complementary to sequences encoding conserved amino acid (aa) motifs in D-alanine:D-alanine ligases (Ddl) were used to amplify approx. 600-bp fragments from glycopeptide-resistant strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides (Lm), Lactobacillus plantarum, La. salivarius and La. confusus, and from a susceptible strain of La. leichmannii. Comparison of the deduced aa sequences of the PCR products revealed that the Ddl-related enzymes of resistant Lm and Lactobacillus spp. are more akin to each other (47-63% aa identity) than to that of susceptible La. leichmannii (33-37% aa identity), indicating that the Ddl-related enzymes in these intrinsically resistant species of Gram+ bacteria exhibit structural differences with those in susceptible species. The Ddl-related enzymes, VanA and VanB, implicated in acquired resistance to glycopeptides in enterococci, were not closely related to their counterparts in Lm and Lactobacillus spp., as they displayed only 26-32% aa identity.
authors: Unite des Agents Antibactériens, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique EP J0058, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors: B G
authors: BG
authors: Elisha
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Courvalin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006020:Glycopeptides; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D007934:Leuconostoc / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D006020:Glycopeptides; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C019638:D-alanylalanine synthetase