Premium
Conjugative transfer frequencies of mef (A)‐containing Tn 1207.3 to macrolide‐susceptible S treptococcus pyogenes belonging to different emm types
Author(s) -
Hadjirin N.F.,
Harrison E.M.,
Holmes M.A.,
Paterson G.K.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/lam.12213
Subject(s) - streptococcus pyogenes , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , horizontal gene transfer , pathogen , antibiotics , antibiotic resistance , transposable element , macrolide antibiotics , bacteria , gene , genetics , erythromycin , mutant , staphylococcus aureus , genome
The aim of this study was to examine the gene transfer potential of mef (A)‐containing Tn 120.3 to macrolide‐susceptible S treptococcus pyogenes belonging to different emm types. Using the filter mating technique, Tn 1207.3 was transferred by conjugation to 23 macrolide‐susceptible recipients representing 11 emm types. PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the mef (A) gene and the com EC junction regions of the Tn 1207.3 insertion in resultant transconjugants. Significant variation was found in the transfer frequency of Tn 1207 . 3 to different S trep . pyogenes strains, and this phenomenon may contribute to the differences in mef (A) frequency observed among clinical isolates. Significance and Impact of the Study The spread of antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic bacteria is an important problem, but the mechanisms of horizontal transfer between strains and species are often poorly understood. For instance, little is known on how macrolide resistance spreads between strains of the human pathogen S trep. pyogenes and why certain strains more commonly display resistance than others. Here, we show that S trep . pyogenes strains vary greatly in their ability to acquire a transposon encoding macrolide resistance by horizontal gene transfer in vitro . These data provide a novel insight into the transfer of antibiotic resistance between bacterial strains and offer an explanation for the differences in the frequency of resistance determinates and resistance seen among clinical isolates.