Gram-positive merA gene in gram-negative oral and urine bacteria

doi:10.1111/j.1574-6968.2004.tb09783.x

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Wiley InterScience

FEMS Microbiology Letters

Volume 238 Issue 2, Pages 411 - 416

Published Online: 9 Jan 2006

Published on behalf of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies

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Gram-positive merA gene in gram-negative oral and urine bacteria

Kayode K. Ojo ^a , Diane Tung ^a , Henrique Luis ^b , Mario Bernardo ^b , Jorge Leitao ^b , Marilyn C. Roberts ^a, *

^a University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA ^b University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +206 543 8001; fax: +206 543 4873, E-mail address: marilynr@u.washington.edu

ABSTRACT

Clinical mercury resistant (Hg^r) Gram-negative bacteria carrying Gram-positive mercury reductase (merA)-like genes were characterized using DNA-DNA hybridization, PCR and sequencing. A PCR assay was developed which discriminated between the merA genes related to Staphylococcus and those related to the Bacillus/Streptococcus merA genes by the difference in size of the PCR product. DNA sequence analysis correlated with the PCR assay. The merA genes from Acinetobacter junii, Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli were sequenced and shared 98–99% identical nucleotide (nt) and 99.6–100% amino acid identity with the Staphylococcus aureus MerA protein. A fourth merA gene, from Pantoeae agglomerans, was partially sequenced (60%) and had 99% identical nt and 100% amino acid identity with the Streptococcus oralis MerA protein. All the Hg^r Gram-negative bacteria transferred their Gram-positive merA genes to a Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis recipient with the resulting transconjugants expressing mercury resistance. These Gram-positive merA genes join Gram-positive tetracycline resistance and Gram-positive macrolide resistance genes in their association with mobile elements which are able to transfer and express in Gram-negative bacteria.