Molecular characterization of the vanD gene cluster and a novel insertion element in a vancomycin-resistant enterococcus isolated in Canada.
A single vanD-containing Enterococcus faecium strain (N97-330) was isolated in Canada. The vanD-containing region was cloned and sequenced. Although the proteins have more than 96% identity to a previously described vanD region in BM4339, the vanS(D) gene contains a frameshift mutation that leads to a predicted truncated protein. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the ddl gene revealed the presence of an IS982-like element (ISEfm1) which interrupted the D-Ala-D-Ala ligase. This suggested the constitutive expression of the vanD operon, which was confirmed. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis fingerprinting demonstrated that BM4339 was not related to N97-330 (>15 band differences). Both strains contained multiple copies of the IS982-like element.
Boyd
D A
DA
Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, Bureau of Microbiology, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Conly
J
J
Dedier
H
H
Peters
G
G
Robertson
L
L
Slater
E
E
Mulvey
M R
MR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000235:genetics; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C019638:D-alanylalanine synthetase; C122181:VanD protein, Enterococcus faecium