Distribution of the antiseptic-resistance gene qacE delta 1 in gram-positive bacteria.
The distribution of the antiseptic-resistance genes qacE and qacE delta 1, originally isolated from Gram-negative bacteria, was studied in a large number of Gram-positive bacteria by a method that included the polymerase chain reaction. A total of 151 strains of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus, isolated from clinical sources and obtained from the Japanese Collection of Microorganisms, was used in this analysis. We found the qacE delta 1 gene in 36 of 103 strains of Staphylococcus and in nine of 48 strains of Enterococcus. All of the strains in which we detected the qacE delta 1 gene were clinical isolates. The qacE gene was not detected in any of the strains examined in this study. The nucleotide sequences of the qacE delta 1 genes from the strains of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus were identical to that of the gene located on integron InC in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results indicate that the antiseptic-resistance gene qacE delta 1 is present in Gram-positive, as well as Gram-negative, bacteria.
Kazama
H
H
Department of Microbiology, Showa College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
Hamashima
H
H
Sasatsu
M
M
Arai
T
T
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D004396:Coloring Agents