Presence of erm gene classes in Gram-positive bacteria of animal and human origin in Denmark

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 170; no. 1; pp. 151 - 158
• Main Authors: Jensen, L.B, Frimodt-Moller, N, Aarestrup, F.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1999; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animal; animal diseases; animal health; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Bacteria; bacterial infections; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Denmark; drug effects; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Enterococcus; enzymology; erm gene classification; Erythromycin; Erythromycin - pharmacology; Erythromycin resistance; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene sequencing; Genes; Genes, Bacterial; Genetics; Gram-positive bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Gram-Positive Cocci; Gram-Positive Cocci - drug effects; Gram-Positive Cocci - enzymology; Gram-Positive Cocci - genetics; Gram-Positive Cocci - isolation & purification; human health and safety; Humans; isolation & purification; medicine; methods; Methyltransferases; Methyltransferases - genetics; Microbiology; pharmacology; Phylogeny; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Staphylococcus; Streptococcus; Denmark; gene classification; Erythromycin resistance; Animal; Human; Antibiotic; Sensitivity resistance; Gram positive bacteria; Phylogenetic tree; Molecular epidemiology; Isolate; Veterinary; Macrolide
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb13368.x

A classification of the different erm gene classes based on published sequences was performed, and specific primers to detect some of these classes designed. The presence of ermA (Tn554), ermB (classIV) and ermC (class VI) was determined by PCR in a total of 113 enterococcal, 77 streptococcal and 68 staphylococcal erythromycin resistant isolates of animal and human origin. At least one of these genes was detected in 88% of the isolates. Four isolates contained more than one erm gene. ermB dominated among the enterococci (88%) and streptococci (90%) and ermC among staphylococci (75%) with ermA (Tn554) present in some isolates (16%). Variations in the presence of the different genes when comparing staphylococcal isolates of human and animal origin were observed.