VanI: a novel d‐Ala‐d‐Lac vancomycin resistance gene cluster found in Desulfitobacterium hafniense. Issue 5 (5th July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kruse, Thomas; Levisson, Mark; de Vos, Willem M.; Smidt, Hauke
• Is Part Of: Microbial biotechnology. Volume 7:Issue 5(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 456
• Page End: 466
• Publication Date: 2014-07-05
• Subjects: Microbial biotechnology -- Periodicals; Biotechnology; Microbiology; 660.62
• DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12139
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-7915

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <p>The glycopeptide vancomycin was until recently considered a drug of last resort against Gram‐positive bacteria. Increasing numbers of bacteria, however, are found to carry genes that confer resistance to this antibiotic. So far, 10 different vancomycin resistance clusters have been described. A chromosomal vancomycin resistance gene cluster was previously described for the anaerobic <italic>D</italic><italic>esulfitobacterium hafniense</italic> Y51. We demonstrate that this gene cluster, characterized by its <sc>d</sc>‐Ala‐<sc>d</sc>‐Lac ligase‐encoding <italic>vanI</italic> gene, is present in all strains of <italic>D</italic>. <italic>hafniense</italic>, <italic>D</italic><italic>. chlororespirans</italic> and some strains of <italic>D</italic><italic>esulfosporosinus</italic> spp. This gene cluster was not found in vancomycin‐sensitive <italic>D</italic><italic>esulfitobacterium</italic> or <italic>D</italic><italic>esulfosporosinus</italic> spp., and we show that this antibiotic resistance can be exploited as an intrinsic selection marker for <italic>D</italic><italic>esulfitobacterium hafniense</italic> and <italic>D</italic><italic>. chlororespirans</italic>. The gene cluster containing <italic>vanI</italic> is phylogenetically only distantly related with those described from soil and gut bacteria, but clusters instead with vancomycin resistance genes found within the phylum <italic>A</italic><italic>ctinobacteria</italic> that include several vancomycin‐producing bacteria. It lacks a <italic>vanH</italic> homologue, encoding a D‐lactate dehydrogenase, previously thought to always be present within vancomycin resistance gene clusters. The location of <italic>vanH</italic> outside the resistance gene cluster likely hinders horizontal gene transfer. Hence, the vancomycin resistance cluster in <italic>D</italic>. <italic>hafniense</italic> should be regarded a novel one that we here designated <italic>vanI</italic> after its unique <sc>d</sc>‐Ala‐<sc>d</sc>‐Lac ligase.</p> </abstract>