Clostridium difficile erm(B)-containing elements and the burden on the in vitro fitness

J Med Microbiol. 2013 Sep;62(Pt 9):1461-1467. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.057117-0. Epub 2013 Jun 5.

Abstract

In Clostridium difficile, resistance to the macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B group of antibiotics generally relies on erm(B) genes. In this study, we investigated elements with a genetic organization different from Tn5398, the mobilizable non-conjugative element identified in C. difficile strain 630. Our results suggested that the elements most frequently found in strains isolated during the European surveillance study in 2005 were related to Tn6194, the conjugative transposon recently detected in different C. difficile types, including PCR-ribotype 027. We characterized a Tn6194-like and a novel element rarely found in clinical isolates. A burden on the in vitro fitness of C. difficile was observed after the acquisition of these elements as well as of Tn5398.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Base Sequence
  • Clostridioides difficile / classification
  • Clostridioides difficile / drug effects
  • Clostridioides difficile / genetics*
  • Conjugation, Genetic
  • DNA Transposable Elements*
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Erythromycin / pharmacology
  • Methyltransferases / genetics*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Microbial Viability / drug effects
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Ribotyping
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Erythromycin
  • Methyltransferases
  • rRNA (adenosine-O-2'-)methyltransferase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/HF678445
  • GENBANK/HF678446