title: A distinctive class of integron in the Vibrio cholerae genome.
abstract: The ability of bacteria to acquire and disseminate heterologous genes has been a major factor in the development of multiple drug resistance. A gene, intI4, was identified that encodes a previously unknown integrase that is associated with a "gene-VCR" organization (VCRs are Vibrio cholerae repeated sequences), similar to that of the well-characterized antibiotic resistance integrons. The similarity was confirmed by IntI1-mediated recombination of a gene-VCR cassette into a class 1 integron. VCR cassettes are found in a number of Vibrio species including a strain of V. metschnikovii isolated in 1888, suggesting that this mechanism of heterologous gene acquisition predated the antibiotic era.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 6174 University Boulevard, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z3, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dychinco
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003062:Codon; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D019426:Integrases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014733:Vibrio / Q000235:genetics; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D019426:Integrases