Related Experiment Videos
Characterisation of VanA and VanB elements from glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium from Greece
E Demertzi1, M-F I Palepou, M E Kaufmann1
1Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory and *Laboratory of Hospital Infection, Central Public Health Laboratory,61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT and †Microbiology Department, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Journal of Medical Microbiology
|August 2, 2001
Summary
Glycopeptide resistance in Enterococcus faecium was investigated. Two novel variants of VanA resistance elements and the vanB2 gene cluster within a Tn5382-like element were identified in Greek hospital isolates.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Antimicrobial Resistance
Background:
- Enterococcus faecium is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections.
- Glycopeptide resistance in E. faecium is a growing public health concern.
- Understanding the genetic basis of resistance is crucial for infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize glycopeptide resistance mechanisms in Enterococcus faecium isolates from a Greek hospital.
- To identify and compare novel resistance elements with known transposons.
- To investigate the genetic elements associated with VanA and VanB phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- SmaI macrorestriction banding for strain typing.
- Overlapping PCR for comparing VanA resistance elements to Tn1546.
- PCR assays and HhaI digestion for analyzing vanB gene and its location.
Main Results:
- Eight VanA-phenotype isolates belonged to three strains, with two distinct VanA element variants (Greek type I and II).
- Greek type I elements were indistinguishable from Tn1546.
- Greek type II elements had IS1251 insertion, a point mutation in vanX, and partial orf1 deletion.
- Two VanB-phenotype isolates carried the vanB2 allele within a Tn5382-like element.
Conclusions:
- Identified two novel variants of VanA glycopeptide resistance elements in E. faecium.
- Characterized the genetic environment of the vanB2 gene cluster in Tn5382-like elements.
- Highlights the diversity of glycopeptide resistance mechanisms in clinical E. faecium isolates.