Open AccessPrevalence of nim genes in anaerobic/facultative anaerobic bacteria isolated in South Africa
Author(s) -
Lubbe Maria M,
Stanley Kim,
Chalkley Lynda J
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb13453.x
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , biology , anaerobic bacteria , bacteria , facultative , gene , clostridium , anaerobic exercise , bacteroides , prevotella , strain (injury) , actinomyces , bacteroides fragilis , clostridium beijerinckii , propionibacterium , genetics , anatomy , physiology , botany
This study investigated the prevalence of nim genes (proposed to encode a 5‐nitroimidazole resistance product) in 64 anaerobic/facultative anaerobic bacteria. Employing universal nim gene primers, 458‐bp amplified fragments were recorded as presumptive positives in 22/64 strains at an annealing temperature of 52°C and 15/64 strains at 62°C, of which seven were propionibacteria. DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of nimA genes in Propionibacterium spp. (five strains), Actinomyces odontolyticus (one strain), Prevotella bivia (one strain) and Clostridium bifermentans (one strain) and nimB genes from five strains of Bacteroides fragilis . nimA genes were predominant in propionibacteria indicating a potential nimA gene source in anaerobic environments.