# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 517 | 0 | 0.9476 | Adaptation to metal(loid)s in strain Mucilaginibacter rubeus P2 involves novel arsenic resistance genes and mechanisms. Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental toxi substance that affects human health. Compared to inorganic arsenicals, reduced organoarsenicals are more toxic, and some of them are recognized as antibiotics, such as methylarsenite [MAs(III)] and arsinothricin (2-amino-4-(hydroxymethylarsinoyl)butanoate, or AST). To date, organoarsenicals such as MAs(V) and roxarsone [Rox(V)] are still used in agriculture and animal husbandry. How bacteria deal with both inorganic and organoarsenic species is unclear. Recently, we identified an environmental isolate Mucilaginibacter rubeus P2 that has adapted to high arsenic and antinomy levels by triplicating an arsR-mrarsU(Bact)-arsN-arsC-(arsRhp)-hp-acr3-mrme1(Bact)-mrme2(Bact)gene cluster. Heterologous expression of mrarsM(Bact), mrarsU(Bact), mrme1(Bact) and mrme2(Bact), encoding putative arsenic resistance determinants, in the arsenic hypersensitive strain Escherichia coli AW3110 conferred resistance to As(III), As(V), MAs(III) or Rox(III). Our data suggest that metalloid exposure promotes plasticity in arsenic resistance systems, enhancing host organism adaptation to metalloid stress. | 2024 | 37865075 |
| 542 | 1 | 0.9358 | Role of Yops and adhesins in resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica to phagocytosis. Yersinia enterocolitica is a pathogen endowed with two adhesins, Inv and YadA, and with the Ysc type III secretion system, which allows extracellular adherent bacteria to inject Yop effectors into the cytosol of animal target cells. We tested the influence of all of these virulence determinants on opsonic and nonopsonic phagocytosis by PU5-1.8 and J774 mouse macrophages, as well as by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). The adhesins contributed to phagocytosis in the absence of opsonins but not in the presence of opsonins. In agreement with previous results, YadA counteracted opsonization. In every instance, the Ysc-Yop system conferred a significant level of resistance to phagocytosis. Nonopsonized single-mutant bacteria lacking either YopE, -H, -T, or -O were phagocytosed significantly more by J774 cells and by PMNs. Opsonized bacteria were phagocytosed more than nonopsonized bacteria, and mutant bacteria lacking either YopH, -T, or -O were phagocytosed significantly more by J774 cells and by PMNs than were wild-type (WT) bacteria. Opsonized mutants lacking only YopE were phagocytosed significantly more than were WT bacteria by PMNs but not by J774 cells. Thus, YopH, -T, and -O were involved in all of the phagocytic processes studied here but YopE did not play a clear role in guarding against opsonic phagocytosis by J774. Mutants lacking YopP and YopM were, in every instance, as resistant as WT bacteria. Overexpression of YopE, -H, -T, or -O alone did not confer resistance to phagocytosis, although it affected the cytoskeleton. These results show that YopH, YopT, YopO, and, in some instances, YopE act synergistically to increase the resistance of Y. enterocolitica to phagocytosis by macrophages and PMNs. | 2002 | 12117925 |
| 8737 | 2 | 0.9355 | Role of Biosynthetic Gene Cluster BGC3 in the Cariogenic Virulence of Streptococcus mutans. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of the biosynthetic gene cluster BGC3 of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in the process of dental caries. METHODS: BGC3 and ∆BGC3 S. mutans strains were constructed and their growth curves were evaluated. Acid production capacity was assessed by evaluating pH reduction levels over identical culture periods. The survival of bacteria in phosphate citrate buffer solution (pH 3.0) was quantified. The expression levels of virulence genes (atpF, gtfC, gtfD, spaP, vicR and ftf) were analysed using the qPCR. Co-culture experiments were conducted to evaluate bacterial adaptability. Bacterial viability was determined by microscopical examination of live/dead staining. RESULTS: Deletion of BGC3 did not significantly impact S. mutans growth or acid production in biofilms. The ∆BGC3 strain exhibited enhanced acid resistance and higher expression levels of virulence genes compared to the wild type. In addition, ∆BGC3 exhibited superior bacterial viability in the co-culture system. CONCLUSION: BGC3 affected the acid resistance and expression of caries-related genes in S. mutans. The BGC3 knockout strain exhibited a more robust survival capability than the wild-type strain. | 2025 | 40162656 |
| 2341 | 3 | 0.9350 | Effect of Salicylic Acid on the gene expression of FnbA and FnbB genes in Staphylococcus hominis. BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus hominis is an opportunistic pathogen that expresses surface proteins, which are adhesive proteins that play a major role in biofilm formation. Biofilm is a protective layer that provides S. hominis bacteria with greater antibiotic resistance and promotes its adherence to biomedical surfaces, facilitating its entry into the bloodstream. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to investigate the activity of Salicylic Acid (SA) and its effect on the gene expression of biofilm genes (FnbA and FnbB genes). METHODS: A total of 150 blood specimens were collected from patients. The specimens were cultured in broth media of the BacT/ALERT® system and subcultured on blood and chocolate agar. Bacteria were detected using the VITEK2 system. FnbA and FnbB genes were detected using PCR. The broth microdilution method performed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Salicylic acid (SA) on S. hominis isolates with both genes. Detection of the gene expression levels of FnbA and FnbB genes was assessed using Real-Time PCR(RT-PCR). RESULTS: The results showed that out of the 150 specimens collected, 35 were S. hominis. The detection of S. hominis bacteria was performed by PCR amplification of two genes FnbA and FnbB and showed 100% and 17.14% of isolates were positive for genes FnbA and FnbB, respectively. The expression of FnbA and FnbB genes was decreased in samples treated with SA compared with untreated ones. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, there is a significant impact of SA on the prevention of biofilm formation of S. hominis through the suppression of gene expression, specifically FnbA and FnbB. This could enhance susceptibility to antimicrobial treatments. However, more research is required to determine whether SA leads to the selection of resistant bacteria. | 2024 | 38875028 |
| 6012 | 4 | 0.9347 | Metal resistance-related genes are differently expressed in response to copper and zinc ion in six Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains. Metal resistance of acidophilic bacteria is very significant during bioleaching of copper ores since high concentration of metal is harmful to the growth of microorganisms. The resistance levels of six Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains to 0.15 M copper and 0.2 M zinc were investigated, and eight metal resistance-related genes (afe-0022, afe-0326, afe-0329, afe-1143, afe-0602, afe-0603, afe-0604, and afe-1788) were sequenced and analyzed. The transcriptional expression levels of eight possible metal tolerance genes in six A. ferrooxidans strains exposed to 0.15 M Cu(2+) and 0.2 M Zn(2+) were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), respectively. The copper resistance levels of six A. ferrooxidans strains declined followed by DY26, DX5, DY15, GD-B, GD-0, and YTW. The zinc tolerance levels of six A. ferrooxidans strains exposed to 0.2 M Zn(2+) from high to low were YTW > GD-B > DY26 > GD-0 > DX5 > DY15. Seven metal tolerance-related genes all presented in the genome of six strains, except afe-0604. The metal resistance-related genes showed different transcriptional expression patterns in six A. ferrooxidans strains. The expression of gene afe-0326 and afe-0022 in six A. ferrooxidans strains in response to 0.15 M Cu(2+) showed the same trend with the resistance levels. The expression levels of genes afe-0602, afe-0603, afe-0604, and afe-1788 in six strains response to 0.2 M Zn(2+) did not show a clear correlation between the zinc tolerance levels of six strains. According to the results of RT-qPCR and bioinformatics analysis, the proteins encoded by afe-0022, afe-0326, afe-0329, and afe-1143 were related to Cu(2+) transport of A. ferrooxidans strains. | 2014 | 25023638 |
| 437 | 5 | 0.9345 | Cloning of genes responsible for acetic acid resistance in Acetobacter aceti. Five acetic acid-sensitive mutants of Acetobacter aceti subsp. aceti no. 1023 were isolated by mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Three recombinant plasmids that complemented the mutations were isolated from a gene bank of the chromosome DNA of the parental strain constructed in Escherichia coli by using cosmid vector pMVC1. One of these plasmids (pAR1611), carrying about a 30-kilobase-pair (kb) fragment that conferred acetic acid resistance to all five mutants, was further analyzed. Subcloning experiments indicated that a 8.3-kb fragment was sufficient to complement all five mutations. To identify the mutation loci and genes involved in acetic acid resistance, insertional inactivation was performed by insertion of the kanamycin resistance gene derived from E. coli plasmid pACYC177 into the cloned 8.3-kb fragment and successive integration into the chromosome of the parental strain. The results suggested that three genes, designated aarA, aarB, and aarC, were responsible for expression of acetic acid resistance. Gene products of these genes were detected by means of overproduction in E. coli by use of the lac promoter. The amino acid sequence of the aarA gene product deduced from the nucleotide sequence was significantly similar to those of the citrate synthases (CSs) of E. coli and other bacteria. The A. aceti mutants defective in the aarA gene were found to lack CS activity, which was restored by introduction of a plasmid containing the aarA gene. A mutation in the CS gene of E. coli was also complemented by the aarA gene. These results indicate that aarA is the CS gene. | 1990 | 2156811 |
| 196 | 6 | 0.9344 | A specialized citric acid cycle requiring succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA):acetate CoA-transferase (AarC) confers acetic acid resistance on the acidophile Acetobacter aceti. Microbes tailor macromolecules and metabolism to overcome specific environmental challenges. Acetic acid bacteria perform the aerobic oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid and are generally resistant to high levels of these two membrane-permeable poisons. The citric acid cycle (CAC) is linked to acetic acid resistance in Acetobacter aceti by several observations, among them the oxidation of acetate to CO2 by highly resistant acetic acid bacteria and the previously unexplained role of A. aceti citrate synthase (AarA) in acetic acid resistance at a low pH. Here we assign specific biochemical roles to the other components of the A. aceti strain 1023 aarABC region. AarC is succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA):acetate CoA-transferase, which replaces succinyl-CoA synthetase in a variant CAC. This new bypass appears to reduce metabolic demand for free CoA, reliance upon nucleotide pools, and the likely effect of variable cytoplasmic pH upon CAC flux. The putative aarB gene is reassigned to SixA, a known activator of CAC flux. Carbon overflow pathways are triggered in many bacteria during metabolic limitation, which typically leads to the production and diffusive loss of acetate. Since acetate overflow is not feasible for A. aceti, a CO(2) loss strategy that allows acetic acid removal without substrate-level (de)phosphorylation may instead be employed. All three aar genes, therefore, support flux through a complete but unorthodox CAC that is needed to lower cytoplasmic acetate levels. | 2008 | 18502856 |
| 1483 | 7 | 0.9344 | Clinical Evaluation of the iCubate iC-GPC Assay for Detection of Gram-Positive Bacteria and Resistance Markers from Positive Blood Cultures. The iC-GPC Assay (iCubate, Huntsville, AL) is a qualitative multiplex test for the detection of five of the most common Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium) responsible for bacterial bloodstream infections, performed directly from positive blood cultures. The assay also detects the presence of the mecA, vanA, and vanB resistance determinants. This study comparatively evaluated the performance of the iC-GPC Assay against the Verigene Gram-positive blood culture (BC-GP) assay (Luminex Corp., Austin, TX) for 1,134 patient blood culture specimens positive for Gram-positive cocci. The iC-GPC Assay had an overall percent agreement with the BC-GP assay of 95.5%. Discordant specimens were further analyzed by PCR and a bidirectional sequencing method. The results indicate that the iC-GPC Assay together with the iCubate system is an accurate and reliable tool for the detection of the five most common Gram-positive bacteria and their resistance markers responsible for bloodstream infections. | 2018 | 29899000 |
| 46 | 8 | 0.9344 | The pepper Bs4C proteins are localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and confer disease resistance to bacterial blight in transgenic rice. Transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-dependent dominant disease resistance (R) genes in plants, also referred to as executor R genes, are induced on infection by phytopathogenic bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas harbouring the corresponding TALE genes. Unlike the traditional R proteins, the executor R proteins do not determine the resistance specificity and may function broadly in different plant species. The executor R gene Bs4C-R in the resistant genotype PI 235047 of the pepper species Capsicum pubescens (CpBs4C-R) confers disease resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) harbouring the TALE genes avrBsP/avrBs4. In this study, the synthetic genes of CpBs4C-R and two other Bs4C-like genes, the susceptible allele in the genotype PI585270 of C. pubescens (CpBs4C-S) and the CaBs4C-R homologue gene in the cultivar 'CM334' of Capsicum annum (CaBs4C), were characterized in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and rice (Oryza sativa). The Bs4C genes induced cell death in N. benthamiana. The functional Bs4C-eCFP fusion proteins were localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane in the leaf epidermal cells of N. benthamiana. The Xa10 promoter-Bs4C fusion genes in transgenic rice conferred strain-specific disease resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal agent of bacterial blight in rice, and were specifically induced by the Xa10-incompatible Xoo strain PXO99(A) (pHM1avrXa10). The results indicate that the Bs4C proteins from pepper species function broadly in rice and the Bs4C protein-mediated cell death from the ER is conserved between dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants, which can be utilized to engineer novel and enhanced disease resistance in heterologous plants. | 2018 | 29603592 |
| 112 | 9 | 0.9340 | Glycopeptide resistance determinants from the teicoplanin producer Actinoplanes teichomyceticus. In enterococci and other pathogenic bacteria, high-level resistance to vancomycin and other glycopeptide antibiotics requires the action of the van genes, which direct the synthesis of peptidoglycan terminating in the depsipeptide D-alanyl-D-lactate, in place of the usual D-Ala-D-Ala. The Actinoplanes teichomyceticus tcp cluster, devoted to the biosynthesis of the glycopeptide antibiotic teicoplanin, contains van genes associated to a murF-like sequence (murF2). We show that A. teichomyceticus contains also a house-keeping murF1 gene, capable of complementing a temperature sensitive Escherichia coli murF mutant. MurF1, expressed in Streptomyces lividans, can catalyze the addition of either D-Ala-D-Ala or D-Ala-D-Lac to the UDP-N-acetyl-muramyl-L-Ala-D-Glu-d-Lys. However, similarly expressed MurF2 shows a small enzymatic activity only with D-Ala-D-lactate. Introduction of a single copy of the entire set of van genes confers resistance to teicoplanin-type glycopeptides to S. coelicolor. | 2004 | 15500981 |
| 5185 | 10 | 0.9339 | Genomic characterisation of nasal isolates of coagulase-negative Staphylococci from healthy medical students reveals novel Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec elements. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are a diverse group of Gram-positive bacteria that are part of the normal human microbiota. Once thought to be non-pathogenic, CoNS has emerged in recent years as opportunistic pathogens of concern particularly in healthcare settings. In this study, the genomes of four methicillin-resistant CoNS isolates obtained from the nasal swabs of healthy university medical students in Malaysia were sequenced using the Illumina short-read platform. Genome sequencing enabled the identification of the four isolates as Staphylococcus warneri UTAR-CoNS1, Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. cohnii UTAR-CoNS6, Staphylococcus capitis subsp. urealyticus UTAR-CoNS20, and Staphylococcus haemolyticus UTAR-CoNS26. The genome of S. cohnnii UTAR-CoNS6 harboured the mecA methicillin-resistance gene on a Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) element similar to SCCmec type XIV (5 A) but the SCCmec cassettes identified in the other three CoNS genomes were novel and untypeable. Some of these SCCmec elements also encoded heavy metal resistance genes while the SCCmec type XIV (5 A) variant in S. cohnii UTAR-CoNS6 harboured the complete ica operon, a known virulence factor that functions in biofilm formation. In S. cohnii UTAR-CoNS6, the macrolide resistance genes msrA and mphC along with copper and cadmium resistance genes were located on a 26,630 bp plasmid, pUCNS6. This study showcased the diversity of CoNS in the nasal microbiota of medical students but the discovery of novel SCCmec elements, various antimicrobial and heavy metal resistance along with virulence genes in these isolates is of concern and warrants vigilance due to the likelihood of spread, especially to hospitalised patients. | 2025 | 40595841 |
| 9995 | 11 | 0.9339 | Direct fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in Escherichia coli with a target-specific quantum dot-based molecular beacon. Quantum dots (QDs) are inorganic fluorescent nanocrystals with excellent properties such as tunable emission spectra and photo-bleaching resistance compared with organic dyes, which make them appropriate for applications in molecular beacons. In this work, quantum dot-based molecular beacons (QD-based MBs) were fabricated to specifically detect β-lactamase genes located in pUC18 which were responsible for antibiotic resistance in bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) DH5α. QD-based MBs were constructed by conjugating mercaptoacetic acid-quantum dots (MAA-QDs) with black hole quencher 2 (BHQ2) labeled thiol DNA vial metal-thiol bonds. Two types of molecular beacons, double-strands beacons and hairpin beacons, were observed in product characterization by gel electrophoresis. Using QD-based MBs, one-step FISH in tiny bacteria DH5α was realized for the first time. QD-based MBs retained their bioactivity when hybridizing with complementary target DNA, which showed excellent advantages of eliminating background noise caused by adsorption of non-specific bioprobes and achieving clearer focus of genes in plasmids pUC18, and capability of bacterial cell penetration and signal specificity in one-step in situ hybridization. | 2010 | 20729070 |
| 8 | 12 | 0.9338 | The hawthorn CpLRR-RLK1 gene targeted by ACLSV-derived vsiRNA positively regulate resistance to bacteria disease. Virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) can target not only viruses but also plant genes. Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) is an RNA virus that infects Rosaceae plants extensively, including apple, pear and hawthorn. Here, we report an ACLSV-derived vsiRNA [vsiR1360(-)] that targets and down-regulates the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase 1 (LRR-RLK1) gene of hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida). The targeting and cleavage of the CpLRR-RLK1 gene by vsiR1360(-) were validated by RNA ligase-mediated 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends and tobacco transient transformation assays. And the CpLRR-RLK1 protein fused to green fluorescent protein localized to the cell membrane. Conserved domain and phylogenetic tree analyses showed that CpLRR-RLK1 is closely related to the proteins of the LRRII-RLK subfamily. The biological function of CpLRR-RLK1 was explored by heterologous overexpression of CpLRR-RLK1 gene in Arabidopsis. The results of inoculation of Pst DC3000 in Arabidopsis leaves showed that the symptoms of CpLRR-RLK1 overexpression plants infected with Pst DC3000 were significantly reduced compared with the wild type. In addition, the detection of reactive oxygen species and callose deposition and the expression analysis of defense-related genes showed that the CpLRR-RLK1 gene can indeed enhance the resistance of Arabidopsis to bacteria disease. | 2020 | 33180701 |
| 330 | 13 | 0.9338 | A DHA14 drug efflux gene from Xanthomonas albilineans confers high-level albicidin antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli. AIMS: Identification of a gene for self-protection from the antibiotic-producing plant pathogen Xanthomonas albilineans, and functional testing by heterologous expression. METHODS AND RESULTS: Albicidin antibiotics and phytotoxins are potent inhibitors of prokaryote DNA replication. A resistance gene (albF) isolated by shotgun cloning from the X. albilineans albicidin-biosynthesis region encodes a protein with typical features of DHA14 drug efflux pumps. Low-level expression of albF in Escherichia coli increased the MIC of albicidin 3000-fold, without affecting tsx-mediated albicidin uptake into the periplasm or resistance to other tested antibiotics. Bioinformatic analysis indicates more similarity to proteins involved in self-protection in polyketide-antibiotic-producing actinomycetes than to multi-drug resistance pumps in other gram-negative bacteria. A complex promoter region may co-regulate albF with genes for hydrolases likely to be involved in albicidin activation or self-protection. CONCLUSIONS: AlbF is the first apparent single-component antibiotic-specific efflux pump from a gram-negative antibiotic producer. It shows extraordinary efficiency as measured by resistance level conferred upon heterologous expression. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Development of the clinical potential of albicidins as potent bactericidial antibiotics against diverse bacteria has been limited because of low yields in culture. Expression of albF with recently described albicidin-biosynthesis genes may enable large-scale production. Because albicidins are X. albilineans pathogenicity factors, interference with AlbF function is also an opportunity for control of the associated plant disease. | 2006 | 16834602 |
| 5798 | 14 | 0.9337 | Rapid identification of bacteria, mecA and van genes from blood cultures. The Genotype technology, a quick molecular genetic assay based on DNA multiplex amplification with biotinylated primers followed by hybridization to membrane bound probes, complies with the requirements for a fast diagnosis of sepsis. We evaluated the new Genotype BC Gram-negative and Gram-positive test kits (Hain Life Science, Germany) which respectively allow for the identification of 15 species of Gram-negative (GN) rods, and the identification of 17 Gram-positive (GP) bacteria species together with the determination of methicillin and vancomycin resistance (mecA and van genes). The study was performed on 60 positive blood cultures from BacT/ALERT bottles (aerobic, anaerobic and pediatric bottles). First, a Gram stain was carried out to select between Genotype BC GP or GN test, then identification were performed by the Genotype BC tests and by biochemical conventional tests after subculture and phenotypic susceptibility determination. The operating procedure was very easy to carry out and required a small amount of starting material (5 to 10 microL of blood culture). The results were available within 4.5 hours. For all the blood cultures, the Genotype BC results correlated with the biochemical identification and phenotypic antibiotics susceptibility. According to our results, this DNA strip technology based assay can easily be incorporated into routine diagnosis. | 2007 | 17913394 |
| 400 | 15 | 0.9337 | The macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance phenotypes characterized by using a specifically deleted, antibiotic-sensitive strain of Streptomyces lividans. Genes conferring resistance to macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B (MLS) antibiotics via ribosomal modification are widespread in bacteria, including clinical isolates and MLS-producing actinomycetes. Such erm-type genes encode enzymes that mono- or dimethylate residue A-2058 of 23S rRNA. The different phenotypes resulting from monomethylation (MLS-I phenotype, conferred by erm type I genes) or dimethylation (MLS-II phenotype due to erm type II genes) have been characterized by introducing tlrD or ermE, respectively, into an MLS-sensitive derivative of Streptomyces lividans TK21. This strain (designated OS456) was generated by specific replacement of the endogenous resistance genes lrm and mgt. The MLS-I phenotype is characterized by high-level resistance to lincomycin with only marginal resistance to macrolides such as chalcomycin or tylosin, whereas the MLS-II phenotype involves high-level resistance to all MLS drugs. Mono- and dimethylated ribosomes were introduced into a cell-free protein-synthesizing system prepared from S. lividans and compared with unmodified particles in their response to antibiotics. There was no simple correlation between the relative potencies of MLS drugs at the level of the target site (i.e., the ribosome) and their antibacterial activities expressed as MICs. | 1996 | 8851574 |
| 500 | 16 | 0.9336 | An unusually large multifunctional polypeptide in the erythromycin-producing polyketide synthase of Saccharopolyspora erythraea. Erythromycin A, a clinically important polyketide antibiotic, is produced by the Gram-positive bacterium Saccharopolyspora erythraea. In an arrangement that seems to be generally true of antibiotic biosynthetic genes in Streptomyces and related bacteria like S. erythraea, the ery genes encoding the biosynthetic pathway to erythromycin are clustered around the gene (ermE) that confers self-resistance on S. erythraea. The aglycone core of erythromycin A is derived from one propionyl-CoA and six methylmalonyl-CoA units, which are incorporated head-to-tail into the growing polyketide chain, in a process similar to that of fatty-acid biosynthesis, to generate a macrolide intermediate, 6-deoxyerythronolide B. 6-Deoxyerythronolide B is converted into erythromycin A through the action of specific hydroxylases, glycosyltransferases and a methyltransferase. We report here the analysis of about 10 kilobases of DNA from S. erythraea, cloned by chromosome 'walking' outwards from the erythromycin-resistance determinant ermE, and previously shown to be essential for erythromycin biosynthesis. Partial sequencing of this region indicates that it encodes the synthase. Our results confirm this, and reveal a novel organization of the erythromycin-producing polyketide synthase, which provides further insight into the mechanism of chain assembly. | 1990 | 2234082 |
| 407 | 17 | 0.9336 | Molecular cloning and characterization of two lincomycin-resistance genes, lmrA and lmrB, from Streptomyces lincolnensis 78-11. Two different lincomycin-resistance determinants (lmrA and lmrB) from Streptomyces lincolnensis 78-11 were cloned in Streptomyces lividans 66 TK23. The gene lmrA was localized on a 2.16 kb fragment, the determined nucleotide sequence of which encoded a single open reading frame 1446 bp long. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence suggested the presence of 12 membrane-spanning domains and showed significant similarities to the methylenomycin-resistance protein (Mmr) from Streptomyces coelicolor, the QacA protein from Staphylococcus aureus, and several tetracycline-resistance proteins from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as to some sugar-transport proteins from Escherichia coli. The lmrB gene was actively expressed from a 2.7 kb fragment. An open reading frame of 837 bp could be localized which encoded a protein that was significantly similar to 23S rRNA adenine(2058)-N-methyltransferases conferring macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance. LmrB also had putative rRNA methyltransferase activity since lincomycin resistance of ribosomes was induced in lmrB-containing strains. Surprisingly, both enzymes, LmrA and LmrB, had a substrate specificity restricted to lincomycin and did not cause resistance to other lincosamides such as celesticetin and clindamycin, or to macrolides. | 1992 | 1328813 |
| 5223 | 18 | 0.9335 | Cloned ermTR Gene Confers Low Level Erythromycin but High Level Clindamycin Resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes NZ131. Objectives: The most common macrolide resistance mechanisms in streptococci are the presence of methylase encoding genes ermB and ermTR or the presence of efflux encoded by mef genes. In the present study we aimed to show the effects of the ermTR gene under isogenic conditions on the activities of macrolides and lincosamides in streptococci. Materials and Methods: Total DNA was extracted from Streptococcus pyogenes C1, and the ermTR gene was amplified with or without the regulatory region using modified primer with insertion of restriction sites to clone in to pUC18. Transformants were selected after electroporation of Escherichia coli DB10. The recombinant plasmids were purified and merged to pJIM2246 to transform Gram positive bacteria. Recombinant pJIM2246 plasmids with the ermTR gene were then introduced into S. pyogenes NZ131 by electroporation. Results: After transformation with ermTR without regulatory region the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for erythromycin and clindamycin increased from ≤0.06 to ≤0.06 to 8 and >128 mg/L, respectively. Induction with erythromycin affected the MICs for clindamycin of S. pyogenes transformed with ermTR with the regulatory region. Double disk testing showed that induction with erythromycin and azithromycin for the S. pyogenes transformed with ermTR, and regulatory regions decreased the clindamycin inhibition zone but not telithromycin. The ermTR gene in isogenic conditions confers low level resistance to erythromycin and high level resistance to clindamycin. Conclusion: The different induction and resistance profiles of ermTR compared to other erm genes suggest that the methylation of ErmTR may be different than well studied methylases. | 2020 | 31971866 |
| 6223 | 19 | 0.9334 | Bicarbonate induces high-level resistance to the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 in Staphylococcus aureus small colony variants. OBJECTIVES: Staphylococcus aureus small colony variants (SCVs) cause persistent infections and are resistant to cationic antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been suggested as promising alternatives for treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We investigated the capacity of the human cationic AMP LL-37 to kill SCVs in the presence of physiological concentrations of bicarbonate, which are reported to alter bacterial membrane permeability and change resistance of bacteria to AMPs. METHODS: MBCs of LL-37 for S. aureus SCVs with mutations in different genes in the presence and absence of bicarbonate were determined. RESULTS: In the absence of bicarbonate, SCVs of S. aureus strains LS-1 and 8325-4 had the same level of resistance to LL-37 as the parental strain (8 mg/L). In the presence of bicarbonate, hemB, menD and aroD SCVs of LS-1 had high-level resistance to LL-37 (≥128 mg/L) compared with the parental strain (16 mg/L). However, only the aroD SCV of strain 8324-5 showed high-level resistance. 8325-4 harbours mutations in two genes, tcaR and rsbU, which are involved in antimicrobial sensing and the stress response, respectively. When rsbU was repaired in 8325-4 it displayed high-level resistance to LL-37 in the presence of bicarbonate. This phenotype was lost when tcaR was also repaired, demonstrating that RsbU and TcaR are involved in LL-37 resistance in the presence of bicarbonate. CONCLUSIONS: S. aureus SCVs would be resistant to high concentrations of LL-37 in niches where there are physiological concentrations of bicarbonate and therefore this AMP may not be effective in combating SCVs. | 2018 | 29211886 |