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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
08:19
Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing
Published on: July 7, 2020
Enterococcal-type glycopeptide resistance genes in non-enterococcal organisms
1Division of Infectious Diseases and Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN, USA. patel.robin@mayo.edu
FEMS Microbiology Letters
|March 25, 2000
Summary
The origins of vancomycin resistance genes in enterococci remain unclear, despite their increasing use in medicine and agriculture. Environmental organisms show homologous gene clusters, but the exact source is still a mystery.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Vancomycin resistance in enterococci (VRE) is a growing clinical concern.
- The widespread use of vancomycin and glycopeptides contributes to VRE emergence.
- The precise origin of vancomycin resistance genes in enterococci is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential sources of vancomycin resistance genes found in enterococci.
- To explore the relationship between known resistance genes and environmental microorganisms.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of vancomycin resistance gene clusters.
- Identification of homologous gene sequences in environmental bacteria.
Main Results:
- Vancomycin resistance genes in certain Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Erysipelothrix species are not the source of high-level resistance in enterococci.
- Gene clusters homologous to enterococcal vanA, vanB, and vanC have been identified in environmental organisms, including Paenibacillus popilliae, Amycolatopsis orientalis, and Streptomyces toyocaensis.
Conclusions:
- The exact environmental source of enterococcal vancomycin resistance genes remains undetermined.
- While environmental organisms harbor homologous gene clusters, they are not definitively identified as the primary source.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complete evolutionary pathway of vancomycin resistance in enterococci.
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