Open AccessHomology of a transferable tetracycline resistance determinant of Clostridium difficile with Streptococcus (Enterococcus) faecalis transposon Tn916
Author(s) -
Herbert Hächler,
Fritz H. Kayser,
Brigitte BergerBächi
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.07
H-Index - 259
eISSN - 1070-6283
pISSN - 0066-4804
DOI - 10.1128/aac.31.7.1033
Subject(s) - tetr , transposable element , tetracycline , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , enterococcus faecalis , plasmid , enterococcus faecium , enterococcus , homology (biology) , clostridium , genetics , dna , bacteria , escherichia coli , gene , antibiotics , genome , repressor , transcription factor
In several tetracycline-resistant (Tetr) Clostridium difficile strains, homology with the Tn916 part of plasmid pAM120 DNA was observed. This 15-kilobase transposon, carrying a Tetr determinant, was originally found in Streptococcus (Enterococcus) faecalis. Hybridization experiments revealed that at least six of seven HincII fragments of Tn916, representing greater than 95% of its length, showed homology with DNA of Tetr C. difficile strains. Therefore, a close relationship of the C. difficile Tetr-determining element with the entire Tn916 transposon can be assumed, although differences were observed concerning the number of HindIII cleavage sites within the transposon. In addition to strong hybridization of Tetr determinants of C. difficile with Tn916, weak signals were detected when DNA of Tets C. difficile was hybridized with Tn916. These weak signals could be attributed to a single internal HincII fragment of Tn916.