A conjugative macrolide resistance gene, mef(A), in environmental Clostridium perfringens carrying multiple macrolide

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes
08:58

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Published on: March 3, 2023

O O Soge1, L D Tivoli, J S Meschke

  • 1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

Journal of Applied Microbiology
|January 6, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Environmental Clostridium perfringens harbor antibiotic resistance genes, with tetracycline resistance genes being most common. These genes are transferable, suggesting environmental bacteria act as reservoirs.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Molecular biology
  • Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

  • Clostridium perfringens is found in various environments.
  • Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a growing public health concern.
  • Understanding ARG mobility in environmental bacteria is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence of specific tetracycline and macrolide resistance genes in environmental Clostridium perfringens isolates.
  • To determine the mobility of these identified antibiotic resistance genes.

Main Methods:

  • Screening of 160 environmental Clostridium perfringens isolates (water, soil, sewage) for six specific ARGs (erm(B), erm(Q), tetA(P), tetB(P), tet(M), mef(A)).
  • Sequencing of the mef(A) gene and its flanking regions.
  • Conjugal transfer experiments using Enterococcus faecalis as a recipient.

Main Results:

  • 67.5% of isolates carried at least one of the six ARGs.
  • tetA(P) was the most prevalent gene (53%), followed by mef(A) (18%) and tetB(P) (22%).
  • The tet(M), erm(B), erm(Q), and mef(A) genes were successfully transferred from C. perfringens to Enterococcus faecalis.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental Clostridium perfringens isolates harbor multiple antibiotic resistance genes.
  • This study demonstrates, for the first time, the conjugal transfer of macrolide resistance genes and tet(M) from C. perfringens.
  • Environmental C. perfringens can serve as reservoirs for mobile antibiotic resistance genes, highlighting potential environmental dissemination pathways.

More Related Videos

Characterizing Multidrug Efflux Systems in Acinetobacter baumannii Using an Efflux-Deficient Bacterial Strain and a Single-Copy Gene Expression System05:06

Characterizing Multidrug Efflux Systems in Acinetobacter baumannii Using an Efflux-Deficient Bacterial Strain and a Single-Copy Gene Expression System

Published on: January 5, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
Conjugation01:19

Conjugation

Conjugation is a form of horizontal gene transfer that primarily occurs in bacteria and some archaea, promoting genetic diversity and adaptation. Bacteria can acquire resistance genes through conjugative plasmids, allowing them to survive antibiotic treatments that would otherwise be lethal. This process involves direct contact between cells through specialized structures such as the sex pilus and is mediated by conjugative plasmids, including the F (fertility) factor.Conjugation requires...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Development of Antibiotic Resistance01:30

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...
Mechanism of Conjugation01:19

Mechanism of Conjugation

Bacterial conjugation is a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer that enables the exchange of genetic material between bacterial cells through direct contact. This process is facilitated by a donor cell carrying a conjugative plasmid, which encodes genes necessary for pilus formation, DNA replication, and transfer. The conjugative plasmid plays a central role in initiating and executing the transfer of genetic material.The tra region of the conjugative plasmid encodes proteins responsible for...
Transposons01:24

Transposons

Transposons, or "jumping genes," are small mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that range from 700 to 40,000 base pairs in length. They are found in all organisms and can move within the same chromosome or transfer to different chromosomes. In some cases, transposons can also jump between different host DNA molecules, such as plasmids or viruses, contributing to genetic variability.Barbara McClintock first discovered these mobile genetic elements in the 1940s while studying maize genetics, and she...