@article{mbs:/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.041491-0, author = "Bjørkeng, Eva Katrin and Tessema, Girum Tadesse and Lundblad, Eirik Wasmuth and Butaye, Patrick and Willems, Rob and Sollid, Johanna Ericsson and Sundsfjord, Arnfinn and Hegstad, Kristin", title = "ccrABEnt serine recombinase genes are widely distributed in the Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus casseliflavus species groups and are expressed in E. faecium", journal= "Microbiology", year = "2010", volume = "156", number = "12", pages = "3624-3634", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.041491-0", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.041491-0", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2080", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "MLST, multilocus sequence type", keywords = "JGI, Joint Genome Institute", keywords = "CDSs, coding sequences", keywords = "s: ATCC, American Type Culture Collection", keywords = "SCC, staphylococcal cassette chromosome", keywords = "ST, sequence type", abstract = "The presence, distribution and expression of cassette chromosome recombinase (ccr) genes, which are homologous to the staphylococcal ccrAB genes and are designated ccrAB Ent genes, were examined in enterococcal isolates (n=421) representing 13 different species. A total of 118 (28 %) isolates were positive for ccrAB Ent genes by PCR, and a number of these were confirmed by Southern hybridization with a ccrA Ent probe (n=76) and partial DNA sequencing of ccrA Ent and ccrB Ent genes (n=38). ccrAB Ent genes were present in Enterococcus faecium (58/216, 27 %), Enterococcus durans (31/38, 82 %), Enterococcus hirae (27/52, 50 %), Enterococcus casseliflavus (1/4, 25 %) and Enterococcus gallinarum (1/2, 50 %). In the eight other species tested, including Enterococcus faecalis (n=94), ccrAB Ent genes were not found. Thirty-eight sequenced ccrAB Ent genes from five different enterococcal species showed 94–100 % nucleotide sequence identity and linkage PCRs showed heterogeneity in the ccrAB Ent flanking chromosomal genes. Expression analysis of ccrAB Ent genes from the E. faecium DO strain showed constitutive expression as a bicistronic mRNA. The ccrAB Ent mRNA levels were lower during log phase than stationary phase in relation to total mRNA. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on 39 isolates. ccrAB Ent genes were detected in both hospital-related (10/29, 34 %) and non-hospital (4/10, 40 %) strains of E. faecium. Various sequence types were represented by both ccrAB Ent positive and negative isolates, suggesting acquisition or loss of ccrAB Ent in E. faecium. In summary, ccrAB Ent genes, potentially involved in genome plasticity, are expressed in E. faecium and are widely distributed in the E. faecium and E. casseliflavus species groups.", }