Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Association Between the cfxA Gene and Transposon Tn4555 in Bacteroides distasonis Strains and Other Bacteroides Species

  • Published:
Current Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Bacteroides genus, the most prevalent anaerobic bacteria of the intestinal tract, carries a plethora of the mobile elements, such as plasmids and conjugative and mobilizable transposons, which are probably responsible for the spreading of resistance genes. Production of β-lactamases is the most important resistance mechanism including cephalosporin resistance to β-lactam agents in species of the Bacteroides fragilis group. In our previous study, the cfxA gene was detected in B. distasonis species, which encodes a clinically significant broad-spectrum β-lactamase responsible for widespread resistance to cefoxitin and other β-lactams. Such gene has been associated with the mobilizable transposon Tn4555. Therefore, the aim of this study was to detect the association between the cfxA gene and the presence of transposon Tn4555 in 53 Bacteroides strains isolated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by PCR assay. The cfxA gene was detected in 11 strains and the Tn4555 in 15. The transposon sequence revealed similarities of approximately 96% with the B. vulgatus sequence which has been deposited in GenBank. Hybridization assay was performed in attempt to detect the cfxA gene in the transposon. It was possible to associate the cfxA gene in 11 of 15 strains that harbored Tn4555. Among such strains, 9 presented the cfxA gene as well as Tn4555, but in 2 strains the cfxA gene was not detected by PCR assay. Our results confirm the involvement of Tn4555 in spreading the cfxA gene in Bacteroides species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  1. Aldridge KE, Ashcraft D, Cambre K, Pierson CL, Jenkins SG Rosenblatt JE (2001) Multicenter survey of the changing in vitro antimicrobial susceptibilities of clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis group, Prevotella, Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas and Peptostreptococcus species. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 45:1238–1243

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Aldridge KE (1995) The occurrence, virulence and antimicrobial resistance of anaerobes in polymicrobial infections. Am J Surg 169(Suppl. 5A):2S–7S

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Avelar KES, Osuki K, Vicente ACP, Vieira JMBD, Paula GR, Domingues RMCP, et al. (2003) Presence of the cfxA gene in Bacteroides distasonis. Res Microbiol 154:369–374

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Avelar KES, Vieira JMBD, Antunes LC, Lobo LA, Antunes EN, Domingues RMCP, et al. (2001) Antimicrobial resistance of strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group isolated from the intestinal tract of children and adults in Brazil. Int J Antimicrob Agents 18(Suppl. 2):129–134

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Edwards R, Greenwood D (1992) An investigation of β-lactamases from clinical isolates of Bacteroides species. J Med Microbiol 36:89–95

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Finegold SM, George WL (1989) (Eds.) Anaerobic infections in humans. San Diego: Academic

    Google Scholar 

  7. Goldstein EJC (1999) Clinical anaerobic infections. Anaerobe 5:347–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Jousimies-Somer H, Summanen P, Citron DM, et al. (2002) Wadsworth anaerobic bacteriology manual, 6th ed. Department of Bacteriology, Anaerobe Reference Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland: National Public Health Institute

  9. Moore WE, Holdeman LV (1974) Special problems associated with the isolation and identification of intestinal bacteria in fecal flora studies. Am J Clin Nutr 27(Suppl. D): 1450–1455

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Nord B, Olsson-Liljequist CE (1981) Resistance to β-lactam antibiotics in Bacteroides species. J Antimicrob Chemother 8(Suppl. D):33–42

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Parker AC, Smith CJ (2004) A multicomponent system is required for tetracycline-induced excision of Tn4555. J. J Baeteriol 186(Suppl. 2):438–44

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Parker AC, Smith CJ (1993) Genetic and biochemical analysis of a novel ambler class a β-lactamase responsible for cefoxitin resistance in Bacteroides species. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 37:1028–1036

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Pitcher DG, Saunders NA, Owen RJ (1989) Rapid extraction of bacterial genomic DNA with guanidium thiocyanate. Lett Appl Microbiol 8:151–156

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Parker AC, Smith CJ (1993) Identification of a circular intermediate in the transfer and transposition of Tn4555, a mobilizable transposon from Bacteroides spp. J Bacteriol 175(Suppl9):2682–2691

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Smith CJ, Tribble GD, Bayley DP (1998) Genetic elements of Bacteroides species: A moving story. Plasmid 40(Suppl. I):12–29

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Snydman DR, Jacobus NV, McDermott LA, et al. (1999) Multicenter study of in vitro susceptibility of the Bacteroides fragilis group, 1995 to 1996, with comparison of resistance trends from 1990 to 1996. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 43:2417–2422

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Tribble GD, Parker AC, Smith CJ (1999) Genetic structure and transcriptional analysis of a mobilizable, antibiotic resistance transposon from Bacteroides. Plasmid 42(Suppl. 1):1–12

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Tribble GD, Parker AC, Smith CJ (1997) The Bacteroides mobilizable transposon Tn4555 integrates by a site-specific recombination mechanism similar to that of the gram-positive bacterial element Tn916. J Baeteriol 179(Suppl. 8):2731–2739

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Vedantam G, Novicki TJ, Hecht DW (1999) Bacteroides fragilis transfer factor Tn5520: The smallest bacterial mobilizable transposon containing single integrase and mobilization genes that function in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 181(Suppl. 8):2564–2571

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wang J, Shoemaker NB, Wang GR, et al. (2000) Characterization of a Bacteroides mobilizable transposon, NBU2, which carries a functional lincomycin resistance gene. J Baeteriol 182(Suppl. 12):3559–3571

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Joaquim dos Santos Filho for technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the following national institutions: CNPq, FAPERJ, FINEP-BID, and PRONEX.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiologia Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Laboratório de Biologia de Anaeróbios-Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Centro de Ciencias da Saúde, Bloco 1, 2 andar, Ilha do Fundão, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, 21941-902, Brasil

    Livia Q. Ferreira, Jessica M. B. D. Vieira, Regina M. C. P. Domingues & Maria C. S. Ferreira

  2. Centro Universitario Augusto Motta, Avenida paris, 72, Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, 21041-020, Brasil

    Katia E. S. Avelar

  3. Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Tecnologia Farmacêutica – Rua Dr. Mário Viana, 523, Santa Rosa, Niterói/RJ, Brasil

    Geraldo R. de Paula

  4. Fiocruz, IOC, Avenida Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, 21040-360, Brasil

    Katia E. S. Avelar

  5. Departamento de Microbiologia Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Laboratório de Microbiologia Oral – Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Centro de Ciencias da Saúde, Bloco 1, 2 andar, Ilha do Fundão, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, 21941-902, Brasil

    Ana P. V. Colombo

Authors
  1. Livia Q. Ferreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katia E. S. Avelar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jessica M. B. D. Vieira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Geraldo R. de Paula
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ana P. V. Colombo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Regina M. C. P. Domingues
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Maria C. S. Ferreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Livia Q. Ferreira.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ferreira, L.Q., Avelar, K.E.S., Vieira, J.M.B.D. et al. Association Between the cfxA Gene and Transposon Tn4555 in Bacteroides distasonis Strains and Other Bacteroides Species. Curr Microbiol 54, 348–353 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-006-0411-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-006-0411-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation