Characterization of transferable tetracycline resistance genes in Enterococcus faecalis isolated from raw food.
The prevalence of tetracycline resistance, and of specific genetic determinants for this resistance was investigated in 1003 strains of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from various raw food products originating from five categories including chicken meat, other poultry meat, beef, pork, and 'other'. For the 238 resistant isolates identified, the ability to transfer the resistant phenotype to a given recipient in vitro was investigated. New and interesting observations were that the tet(L) resistance determinant was more readily transferred than tet(M), and that the presence of Tn916-like elements known to encode tet(M) did not correlate with increased transferability of the resistant phenotype.
Wilcks
Andrea
A
Department of Microbiological Food Safety, Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Moerkhoej Bygade 19, DK-2860 Soeborg, Denmark.
Andersen
Sigrid Rita
SR
Licht
Tine Rask
TR
D000818:Animals; D017920:Antiporters / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005516:Food Microbiology; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics*
D017920:Antiporters; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C424711:Tet(L) protein, E coli