title: Enterococcus faecium ST17 from Coastal Marine Sediment Carrying Transferable Multidrug Resistance Plasmids.
abstract: The multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium 17i48, sequence type 17, from marine sediment, carrying erm(B), tet(M), and tet(L) genes, was analyzed for the presence of antibiotic resistance plasmids and for the ability to transfer resistance genes. The strain was found to harbor the replicon type (repA) of pRE25, pRUM, pHTβ, and the axe-txe toxin-antitoxin (TA) system. In mating experiments, tet(M) and tet(L) were cotransferred with the repApRE25, whereas erm(B) was consistently cotransferred with the axe-txe and repApRUM, suggesting that tetracycline and erythromycin resistance genes were carried on different elements both transferable by conjugation, likely via pHTβ-mediated mobilization. Hybridization and PCR mapping demonstrated that tet(M) and tet(L) were located in tandem on a pDO1-like plasmid that also carried the repApRE25, whereas erm(B) was carried by a pRUM-like plasmid. Sequencing of the latter plasmid showed a high nucleotide identity with pRUM and the presence of cat, aadE, sat4, and a complete aphA resistance genes. These findings show that the genetic features of E. faecium 17i48 are consistent with a hospital-adapted clone and suggest that antibiotic resistance may spread in the environment, also in the absence of antibiotic pressure, due to TA system plasmid maintenance.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morroni
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Cesare
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Sante
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brenciani
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vignaroli
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pasquaroli
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giovanetti
authors.affiliation: 3 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy .
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sabatino
authors.affiliation: 3 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy .
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: 3 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy .
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magnani
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy .
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biavasco
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012093:Replicon; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004917:Erythromycin; D013752:Tetracycline
keywords: antibiotic resistance; antibiotic resistance plasmid characterization; enterococci; toxin/antitoxin system