title: Distribution of the vanG-like gene cluster in  Clostridium difficile  clinical isolates.
abstract: Treatment of  Clostridium difficile  infections generally requires cessation of their causative antibiotic and subsequent administration of metronidazole or vancomycin. Intriguingly, the genome of C. difficile 630 contains a cryptic gene cluster homologous to the vanG-type operon of  Enterococcus faecalis  BM4518. We detected this cluster by PCR in 35 out of 41 clinical isolates, confirming its large prevalence in this species. The cluster was found to be located in a unique locus. Comparison of this locus with that of strains devoid of the vanG-like cluster indicated that acquisition of the gene cluster occurred in a perfect 19-bp inverted repeat, in the absence of a detectable mobile structure.
authors.affiliation: EA 4043, USC INRA, Département de Microbiologie, Université Paris Sud, Châtenay-Malabry, France.
authors.forename: Fariza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ammam
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Marvaud
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D005810:Multigene Family; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C417270:VanG protein, Enterococcus faecalis