title: ccrABEnt serine recombinase genes are widely distributed in the Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus casseliflavus species groups and are expressed in E. faecium.
abstract: The presence, distribution and expression of cassette chromosome recombinase (ccr) genes, which are homologous to the staphylococcal ccrAB genes and are designated ccrAB(Ent) genes, were examined in enterococcal isolates (n=421) representing 13 different species. A total of 118 (28 %) isolates were positive for ccrAB(Ent) genes by PCR, and a number of these were confirmed by Southern hybridization with a ccrA(Ent) probe (n=76) and partial DNA sequencing of ccrA(Ent) and ccrB(Ent) genes (n=38). ccrAB(Ent) genes were present in Enterococcus faecium (58/216, 27 %), Enterococcus durans (31/38, 82 %), Enterococcus hirae (27/52, 50 %), Enterococcus casseliflavus (1/4, 25 %) and Enterococcus gallinarum (1/2, 50 %). In the eight other species tested, including Enterococcus faecalis (n=94), ccrAB(Ent) genes were not found. Thirty-eight sequenced ccrAB(Ent) genes from five different enterococcal species showed 94-100 % nucleotide sequence identity and linkage PCRs showed heterogeneity in the ccrAB(Ent) flanking chromosomal genes. Expression analysis of ccrAB(Ent) genes from the E. faecium DO strain showed constitutive expression as a bicistronic mRNA. The ccrAB(Ent) mRNA levels were lower during log phase than stationary phase in relation to total mRNA. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on 39 isolates. ccrAB(Ent) genes were detected in both hospital-related (10/29, 34 %) and non-hospital (4/10, 40 %) strains of E. faecium. Various sequence types were represented by both ccrAB(Ent) positive and negative isolates, suggesting acquisition or loss of ccrAB(Ent) in E. faecium. In summary, ccrAB(Ent) genes, potentially involved in genome plasticity, are expressed in E. faecium and are widely distributed in the E. faecium and E. casseliflavus species groups.
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Eva Katrin
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Bjørkeng
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Girum Tadesse
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Tessema
authors.affiliation: Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (K-res), Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North-Norway, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Eirik Wasmuth
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Lundblad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.|CODA-CERVA-VAR, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Butaye
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Rm G04.614, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Johanna Ericsson
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sollid
authors.affiliation: Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (K-res), Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North-Norway, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway.|Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Arnfinn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sundsfjord
authors.affiliation: Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance (K-res), Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North-Norway, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway.|Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hegstad
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D045522:Recombinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D045522:Recombinases
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