Skip Navigation



JAC Advance Access published online on September 19, 2005
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dki327
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
56/5/841    most recent
dki327v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sangvik, M.
Right arrow Articles by Dahl, K. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sangvik, M.
Right arrow Articles by Dahl, K. H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received June 22, 2005
Revised August 12, 2005
Accepted August 17, 2005

Original article

mef(A), mef(E) and a new mef allele in macrolide-resistant Streptococcus spp. isolates from Norway

Maria Sangvik 1, Pia Littauer 1, Gunnar Skov Simonsen 2, Arnfinn Sundsfjord 2*, and Kristin Hegstad Dahl 1

1 Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of North Norway (UNN); Department of Microbiology and Virology, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
2 Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of North Norway (UNN); Department of Microbiology and Virology, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway; Division of Infectious Disease Control, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Pb 4404 Nydalen, N-0403 Oslo, Norway

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Arnfinn Sundsfjord, E-mail: arnfinns{at}fagmed.uit.no


  Abstract

Objectives: To type mef genes in a nationwide collection of clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes as well as pharyngeal carrier strains of viridans streptococci in Norway.

Methods: Erythromycin-resistant mef-positive multilocus sequence-typed (MLST) clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae (n = 36) and S. pyogenes (n = 12) from the National Surveillance Program for Antimicrobial Resistance (NORM) as well as viridans streptococci (n = 20) from healthy adults were included. PCR-amplified mef genes were initially discriminated by BamHI digestion. Selected mef genes from representatives of different sequence types (STs) of S. pneumoniae (n = 11) and S. pyogenes (n = 4), and viridans group streptococcal species (n = 8) were typed by sequencing and their strains examined for co-resistances. Hydropathy plots of different mef-encoded proteins were performed.

Results: A predominance of mef(A) was detected in S. pneumoniae (23/36) and S. pyogenes (9/12) due to the clonal spread of ST9 and ST39, respectively. mef(E) was the most widely distributed mef determinant occurring in nine different STs of S. pneumoniae and in four different viridans species. A new mef allele was identified in two STs of S. pyogenes.

Conclusions: mef(E) is the most widely distributed mef determinant in Norwegian clinical strains of S. pneumoniae and pharyngeal carrier strains of various viridans streptococci. However, mef(A) is more prevalent in S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes due to clonal spread. A new mef allele was found in two different STs of S. pyogenes.

Keywords: macrolide efflux; erythromycin; M-type resistance; Major Facilitator Superfamily.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
J. Blackman Northwood, M. Del Grosso, L. R. Cossins, M. D. Coley, R. Creti, A. Pantosti, and D. J. Farrell
Characterization of Macrolide Efflux Pump mef Subclasses Detected in Clinical Isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes Isolated between 1999 and 2005
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., May 1, 2009; 53(5): 1921 - 1925.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
L. Siira, M. Rantala, J. Jalava, A. J. Hakanen, P. Huovinen, T. Kaijalainen, O. Lyytikainen, and A. Virolainen
Temporal Trends of Antimicrobial Resistance and Clonality of Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates in Finland, 2002 to 2006
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., May 1, 2009; 53(5): 2066 - 2073.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
P. E. Varaldo, M. P. Montanari, and E. Giovanetti
Genetic Elements Responsible for Erythromycin Resistance in Streptococci
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., February 1, 2009; 53(2): 343 - 353.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
M. Mingoia, M. Vecchi, I. Cochetti, E. Tili, L. A. Vitali, A. Manzin, P. E. Varaldo, and M. P. Montanari
Composite Structure of Streptococcus pneumoniae Containing the Erythromycin Efflux Resistance Gene mef(I) and the Chloramphenicol Resistance Gene catQ
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., November 1, 2007; 51(11): 3983 - 3987.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Antimicrob ChemotherHome page
C. V. Hawkyard and R. J. Koerner
The use of erythromycin as a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent in adult critical care: benefits versus risks
J. Antimicrob. Chemother., March 1, 2007; 59(3): 347 - 358.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
K. Kosowska-Shick, K. Smith, T. Bogdanovich, L. M. Ednie, R. N. Jones, and P. C. Appelbaum
Activity of DX-619 Compared to Other Agents against Viridans Group Streptococci, Streptococcus bovis, and Cardiobacterium hominis
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., December 1, 2006; 50(12): 4191 - 4194.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
M. Del Grosso, R. Camilli, F. Iannelli, G. Pozzi, and A. Pantosti
The mef(E)-Carrying Genetic Element (mega) of Streptococcus pneumoniae: Insertion Sites and Association with Other Genetic Elements.
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., October 1, 2006; 50(10): 3361 - 3366.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
D. A. Robinson, J. A. Sutcliffe, W. Tewodros, A. Manoharan, and D. E. Bessen
Evolution and global dissemination of macrolide-resistant group a streptococci.
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., September 1, 2006; 50(9): 2903 - 2911.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.Home page
P. Littauer, D. A. Caugant, M. Sangvik, E. A. Hoiby, A. Sundsfjord, G. S. Simonsen, and the Norwegian Macrolide Study Group
Macrolide-Resistant Streptococcus pyogenes in Norway: Population Structure and Resistance Determinants.
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., May 1, 2006; 50(5): 1896 - 1899.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.