The closely related ermB-ermAM genes from Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus faecalis (pAM beta 1), and Streptococcus agalactiae (pIP501) are flanked by variants of a directly repeated sequence

Abstract

The Clostridium perfringens macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance gene, ermBP, was sequenced and shown to be identical to the ermB-ermAM gene from the promiscuous Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pAM beta 1 and to have at least 98% nucleotide sequence identity to other ermB-ermAM genes. Flanking the ermBP structural gene were almost identical directly repeated 1,341-bp sequences (DR1 and DR2). These repeats potentially encoded a 298 (or 284)-amino-acid protein that had sequence similarity to chromosomal and plasmid partitioning proteins. The pAM beta 1 and Streptococcus agalactiae (pIP501) erm determinants appeared to have DR2 but had similar internal 973- or 956-bp deletions in DR1, respectively. Some of the other ermB-ermAM class determinants had small portions of DR1, but none had complete copies. It is postulated that the C. perfringens ermBP determinant was derived from an enterococcal or streptococcal determinant that had complete copies of both DR1 and DR2.