[Presence of conjugative transposon Tn1545 in strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae with mef(A), erm(B), tet(M), catpC194 and aph3'-III genes]

Abstract

We studied the association of MLS resistance genes (erm(B) and mef(A) with others non-MLS resistance genes: tet(M) (tetracycline and minocycline), catpC194 (chloramphenicol) and aph3'-III (kanamycin) in order to know how is selected the multiresistant in Streptococcus pneumoniae. The tet(M) and catpC194 genes were present very often in the pneumococci with the erm(B) gene but the aph3'-III was found only in four strains. Tn1545 was nearly always the responsible for the dissemination of these genes. In contrast, mef(A) was not associated with tet(M) and and catpC194 and is disseminated in a different conjugative transposon. The linkage of multiple antibiotic resistance genes on the same mobile element is of importance for public health, because the use of one antibiotic selects for the transposon which carries multidrug resistance genes.