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Novel Class 1 Integrons in Multi-drug Resistant Isolates from Eastern China

Indian Journal of Microbiology volume 54, pages 227–231 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Integrons are mobile genetic elements able to capture, express and excise resistance genes, playing an important role in the spread of bacterial resistance. The present study was to investigate the occurrence and diversity of integrons in 120 clinical multi-drug resistant Gram-negative isolates from eastern China. Screening of integrons was performed by PCR and gene cassettes were further characterized by PCR–RFLP and sequencing. Class 1 integrons were detected in 70.8 % of isolates and no class 2 and class 3 integrons were detected in any isolates. A total of 19 resistant gene cassettes were identified, four representative of novel gene cassettes: an aacA3 variant (aacA3c), an aacA4 variant (aacA4′-17), a bla OXA variant (bla OXA-251 ), and a catB8 gene cassette interrupted by an insertion sequence IS10 (catB8::IS10). In addition, 14 cassette arrays were detected, including three novel integrons: gcuD1-aacA4′-17-gcu38B-catB8::IS10 (In712), aacA3c-aadA13-bla OXA-251 (In713) and dfrA1-gcu37-aadA5 (In714). The presence of novel integron structures in clinical isolates suggests hospital environments may favor the formation of novel combination of gene cassettes. Moreover, the high prevalence of integrons in multi-drug resistant isolates highlights the urgent need to employ effective means to avoid dissemination of drug-resistant bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by the Ph.D. Programs foundation of the Ministry of Education of China No. 20113227120008, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province No. BK2012289, the foundation of Society Development of Zhenjiang City No. 2010041.

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Affiliations

  1. School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China

    Guangming Sun, Chen Shao, Jin Ma, Qiang Zhang & Shihe Shao

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, 370600, Shandong, China

    Maoli Yi

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  1. Guangming Sun
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  3. Chen Shao
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  4. Jin Ma
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Correspondence to Shihe Shao.

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Sun, G., Yi, M., Shao, C. et al. Novel Class 1 Integrons in Multi-drug Resistant Isolates from Eastern China. Indian J Microbiol 54, 227–231 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-013-0441-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-013-0441-9

Keywords

  • Integron
  • Resistance
  • Gene cassette
  • Prevalence