Diversity of tn1546-like elements in vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated from humans and poultry in Korea.
To investigate the possible spread of vancomycin resistance among enterococci through horizontal gene transfer between two sources of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from farm animals and humans in Korea, molecular characterization of VRE isolated from poultry (20 isolates) and humans (35 isolates) was performed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism typing of the vanA gene cluster (Tn1546). PCR mapping of Tn1546 finally distinguished seven different transposon types (types A to G). Type A was observed only in the poultry isolates, while the other six types were present only in the human isolates. An insertion sequence and deleted sequence were detected in most of the human isolates in the orf2-vanR and vanX-vanY regions in the Tn1546-like element, but not in the poultry isolates. Tn1546-like elements were found in conjugal plasmids of most human VRE, whereas they were detected in the chromosomes of all poultry VRE. Accordingly, no evidence was found of any recent transmission of vancomycin resistance genes between poultry and humans in Korea.
Yu
Hak-Sun
HS
Department of Microbiology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Taegu, 700-422, Korea.
Seol
Sung-Yong
SY
Cho
Dong-Taek
DT
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011200:Poultry; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases