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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection

Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection

Published on: October 25, 2013

Transferable, plasmid-mediated vanB-type glycopeptide resistance in Enterococcus faecium

L B Rice¹, L L Carias, C L Donskey

¹Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Ohio 44106, USA. lbr@po.cwru.edu

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

|April 29, 1998

Summary

A transferable plasmid carrying vanB genes was found in Enterococcus faecium. This suggests natural plasmid transfer contributes to the spread of VanB-type resistance in E. faecium strains.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Genetics
Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

Enterococcus faecium is a significant cause of nosocomial infections.
VanB-type resistance is a growing public health concern.
Plasmids are key mediators of antimicrobial resistance gene dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and characterize the genetic elements responsible for VanB-type resistance in clinical Enterococcus faecium isolates.
To investigate the role of plasmids in the natural dissemination of vanB operons.

Main Methods:

Plasmid isolation and characterization from clinical Enterococcus faecium strains.
Molecular analysis of vanB operon carriage and transferability.
Comparative analysis of vanB-carrying plasmids across unrelated strains.

Main Results:

Identification of a transferable approximately 60-kb plasmid carrying the vanB operon in an E. faecium strain.
Observation of a similar plasmid in an unrelated E. faecium strain.
Evidence supporting plasmid-mediated transfer of vanB operons in nature.

Conclusions:

Plasmids play a crucial role in the dissemination of VanB-type resistance among E. faecium.
Natural plasmid transfer facilitates the spread of vanB genes, contributing to vancomycin resistance.
Understanding plasmid dynamics is essential for combating antimicrobial resistance in E. faecium.