Genotypic and phenotypic comparison of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolated in 2009 and 2011 in a hospital in Minas Gerais

• Grant number: 11/14592-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Ilana Lopes Baratella da Cunha Camargo
• Grantee: Thaís Panhan Merlo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Enterococcus sp. has the ability to acquire plasmids which carry genes of antibiotic resistance and / or virulence. The sum of mechanisms of resistance and presence of virulence factors may worsen the patient's infection and its treatment. Vancomycin resistance can be acquired through the acquisition of plasmid carrying a transposon with genes that alter the bacterial cell wall and decrease the vancomycin affinity. In general, mobile genetic elements and insertion elements (IS) and transposons are common in microbial genome components and further genotypic and phenotypic variations. IS elements can disrupt genes, but can also alter the expression of genes in a row. The prevalence of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in hospitals in Brazil is still low compared with other countries. A hospital in Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais and sixth most populous city in Brazil provide 63 VRE isolated in 2009 and 47 in 2011 from infected and colonized patients. Only Enterococccus faecalis were selected for this project. The strains will be studied regarding the presence of virulence factors, the clones detected by the pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), the type of transposon and the susceptibility profile using only traditional drugs and new drugs that were approved by ANVISA (tigecycline, daptomycin and linezolid). It is of interest to test the newly approved drugs and compare its efficiency with drugs previously available in our country. It will be very important for the physicians to obtain information on PFGE profile and the type of transposon involved in these strains, as well as the susceptibility to new drugs available in the country so that we can check the advantages of using them.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GEBIELUCA DABUL, ANDREI NICOLI; AVACA-CRUSCA, JULIANA SPOSTO; NAVAIS, ROBERTO BARRANCO; MERLO, THAIS PANHAN; VAN TYNE, DARIA; GILMORE, MICHAEL S.; BARATELLA DA CUNHA CAMARGO, ILANA LOPES. Molecular basis for the emergence of a new hospital endemic tigecycline-resistant Enterococcus faecalis ST103 lineage. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION, v. 67, p. 23-32, JAN 2019. (13/24952-0, 11/14592-1)

MERLO, THAIS PANHAN; GEBIELUCA DABUL, ANDREI NICOLI; BARATELLA CUNHA CAMARGO, ILANA LOPES. Different VanA Elements in E. faecalis and in E. faecium Suggest at Least Two Origins of Tn1546 Among VRE in a Brazilian Hospital. MICROBIAL DRUG RESISTANCE, v. 21, n. 3, p. 320-328, JUN 1 2015. (11/14592-1, 10/11890-9)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MERLO, Thaís Panhan. Genotypic and phenotypic comparison of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolated in 2009 and 2011 in a hospital in Minas Gerais. 2013. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT) São Carlos.