Prevalence of nim genes in anaerobic/facultative anaerobic bacteria isolated in South Africa

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1999 Mar 1;172(1):79-83. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb13453.x.

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of nim genes (proposed to encode a 5-nitroimidazole resistance product) in 64 anaerobic/facultative anaerobic bacteria. Employing universal nim gene primers, 458-bp amplified fragments were recorded as presumptive positives in 22/64 strains at an annealing temperature of 52 degrees C and 15/64 strains at 62 degrees C, of which seven were propionibacteria. DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of nimA genes in Propionibacterium spp. (five strains), Actinomyces odontolyticus (one strain), Prevotella bivia (one strain) and Clostridium bifermentans (one strain) and nimB genes from five strains of Bacteroides fragilis. nimA genes were predominant in propionibacteria indicating a potential nimA gene source in anaerobic environments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actinomyces / drug effects
  • Actinomyces / genetics
  • Actinomyces / isolation & purification
  • Actinomycetales / drug effects
  • Actinomycetales / genetics*
  • Actinomycetales / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
  • Bacteroidaceae / drug effects
  • Bacteroidaceae / genetics*
  • Bacteroidaceae / isolation & purification
  • Bacteroides / drug effects
  • Bacteroides / genetics
  • Bacteroides / isolation & purification
  • Clostridium / drug effects
  • Clostridium / genetics*
  • Clostridium / isolation & purification
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Metronidazole / pharmacology
  • Nitroimidazoles / pharmacology*
  • Prevotella / drug effects
  • Prevotella / genetics
  • Prevotella / isolation & purification
  • Propionibacterium / drug effects
  • Propionibacterium / genetics
  • Propionibacterium / isolation & purification
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • South Africa

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Nitroimidazoles
  • Metronidazole
  • 4-nitroimidazole