Open AccessCharacterization of the Ends and Target Site of a Novel Tetracycline Resistance-Encoding Conjugative Transposon from Enterococcus faecium 664.1H1
Author(s) -
Adam P. Roberts,
Ian J. Davis,
Lorna A. Seville,
A. Villedieu,
Peter Mullany
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.00129-06
Subject(s) - biology , transposable element , enterococcus faecium , integrase , transposase , genetics , tetracycline , plasmid , tn3 transposon , integrases , enterococcus faecalis , transposition (logic) , pathogenicity island , mobile genetic elements , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , virulence , bacteria , antibiotics , genome , escherichia coli , linguistics , philosophy
Enterococcus faecium 664.1H1 is multiply antibiotic resistant and mercury resistant. In this study, the genetic support for the tetracycline resistance ofE. faecium 664.1H1 was characterized. Thetet (S) gene is responsible for tetracycline resistance, and this gene is located on the chromosome ofE. faecium 664.1H1, on a novel conjugative transposon. The element is transferable toEnterococcus faecalis , where it integrates into a specific site. The element was designated EfcTn1 . The integrase of EfcTn1 is related to the integrase proteins found on staphylococcal pathogenicity islands. We show that the transposon is flanked by an 18-bp direct repeat, a copy of which is also present at the target site and at the joint of a circular form, and we propose a mechanism of insertion and excision.