This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ojo, K. K. Articles by Roberts, M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ojo, K. K. Articles by Roberts, M. C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 2004, p. 3451-3456, Vol. 48, No. 9
0066-4804/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.9.3451-3456.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The mef(A) Gene Predominates among Seven Macrolide Resistance Genes Identified in Gram-Negative Strains Representing 13 Genera, Isolated from Healthy Portuguese Children

Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,¹ University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal²

Received 10 December 2003/ Returned for modification 21 March 2004/ Accepted 8 May 2004

Of the 176 randomly selected, commensal, gram-negative bacteria isolated from healthy children with low exposure to antibiotics, 138 (78%) carried one or more of the seven macrolide resistance genes tested in this study. These isolates included 79 (91%) isolates from the oral cavity and 59 (66%) isolates from urine samples. The mef(A) gene, coding for an efflux protein, was found in 73 isolates (41%) and was the most frequently carried gene. The mef(A) gene could be transferred from the donors into a gram-positive E. faecalis recipient and a gram-negative Escherichia coli recipient. The erm(B) gene transferred and was maintained in the E. coli transconjugants but was found in 0 to 100% of the E. faecalis transconjugants tested, while the other five genes could be transferred only into the E. coli recipient. The individual macrolide resistance genes were identified in 3 to 12 new genera. Eight (10%) of the oral isolates and 30 (34%) of the urine isolates for which the MICs were 2 to >500 µg of erythromycin per ml did not hybridize with any of the seven genes and may carry novel macrolide resistance genes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Soge, O. O., Adeniyi, B. A., Roberts, M. C. (2006). New antibiotic resistance genes associated with CTX-M plasmids from uropathogenic Nigerian Klebsiella pneumoniae. J Antimicrob Chemother 58: 1048-1053 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ojo, K. K., Ruehlen, N. L., Close, N. S., Luis, H., Bernardo, M., Leitao, J., Roberts, M. C. (2006). The presence of a conjugative Gram-positive Tn2009 in Gram-negative commensal bacteria. J Antimicrob Chemother 57: 1065-1069 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ojo, K. K., Striplin, M. J., Ulep, C. C., Close, N. S., Zittle, J., Luis, H., Bernardo, M., Leitao, J., Roberts, M. C. (2006). Staphylococcus Efflux msr(A) Gene Characterized in Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Corynebacterium, and Pseudomonas Isolates. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50: 1089-1091 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Poole, K. (2005). Efflux-mediated antimicrobial resistance. J Antimicrob Chemother 56: 20-51 [Abstract] [Full Text]