title: First identification of Tn916-like element in industrial strains of Lactobacillus vini that spread the tet-M resistance gene.
abstract: The open process used to ferment sugar cane juice or molasses to produce ethanol fuel is prone to contamination by bacterial cells of different species, in particular Lactobacilli. The situation can be exacerbated by the emergence of resistant cells to industrial antibiotics that are normally used to combat this contamination. In this work, two Lactobacillus vini isolates from ethanol distilleries were identified and found to be resistant to doxycycline, a tetracycline derivative, although sensitive to other antibiotics tested. The identification of these isolates was confirmed by sequencing the pheS gene and their clonal origin was shown by PCR-fingerprinting analysis. Moreover, the isolates were shown to carry the transposable element Tn916 that harboured the tet-M gene. Furthermore, conjugation experiments showed that both isolates were capable of transferring this element, and as a result, the tet-M gene, to Enterococcus faecalis reference strain. Finally, the identification of tetracycline resistance in the same distilleries in other Lactobacilli, suggested that inter-species transfer of antibiotic resistance may be occurring in the industrial environment, and thus impairing the efficiency of the antibiotic treatment and causing serious health concerns.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacterial Resistance, Institute of Biological Sciences, State University of Pernambuco, 50100-130 Recife, Brazil Interdepartmental Research Group in Metabolic Engineering, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: Allyson Andrade
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.affiliation: Center for Biology and Social Applied Sciences, State University of Paraiba, 58071-160 João Pessoa, Brazil.
authors.forename: Brigida Thais Luckwu
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: de Lucena
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacterial Resistance, Institute of Biological Sciences, State University of Pernambuco, 50100-130 Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcia Maria Camargo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: de Morais
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Research Group in Metabolic Engineering, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Brazil marcos.morais@pesquisador.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: Marcos Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Morais
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000378:metabolism; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D005838:Genotype; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004318:Doxycycline
keywords: Tn916; bacterial conjugation; ethanol fermentation; industrial antibiotics; tet-M