title: vanD and vanG-like gene clusters in a Ruminococcus species isolated from human bowel flora.
abstract: A vancomycin-resistant, anaerobic, gram-positive coccus containing the vanD and vanG-like genes (strain CCRI-16110) was isolated from a human fecal specimen during a hospital surveillance program to detect carriers of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain CCRI-16110 with databases revealed a potentially novel Ruminococcus species that was most similar (<94% identity) to Clostridium and Ruminococcus species. Strain CCRI-16110 was highly resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin (MICs of >256 microg/ml). The complete DNA sequence of the vanD cluster was most similar (98.2% identity) to that of Enterococcus faecium BM4339, containing the vanD1 allele. An intD gene with 99% identity with that of this E. faecium strain was found to be associated with the vanD gene cluster of this novel anaerobic bacterium. Strain CCRI-16110 also harbors genes encoding putative VanS(G), VanG, and VanT(G) proteins displaying 56, 73.6, and 55% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, compared to the corresponding proteins encoded by the vanG1 and vanG2 operons of Enterococcus faecalis BM4518 and N03-0233. This study reports for the first time an anaerobic bacterium containing the vanD gene cluster. This strain also harbors a partial vanG-like gene cluster. The presence of vanD- and vanG-containing anaerobic bacteria in the human bowel flora suggests that these bacteria may serve as a reservoir for the vanD and vanG vancomycin resistance genes.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie de l'Université Laval, CHUQ, 2705 boul. Laurier, Québec, Québec G1V 4G2, Canada.
authors.forename: M-C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Domingo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huletsky
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giroux
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bergeron
mesh_terms: D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D023061:Gene Order; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D045857:Ruminococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017334:Teicoplanin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017334:Teicoplanin; D014640:Vancomycin