Prevalence and molecular characteristics of 16s rRNA methylase gene rmtB in amikacin resistant Escherichia coli isolated from South Korea

Belaynehe, Kuastros Mekonnen; Won, Ho Geun; Yoon, In Joong; Yoo, Han Sang

doi:2019.59.3.157

Korean J Vet Res > Volume 59(3); 2019 > Article

Brief Communication

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 2019;59(3):157-160.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14405/kjvr.2019.59.3.157 Published online October 28, 2019.

Prevalence and molecular characteristics of 16s rRNA methylase gene rmtB in amikacin resistant Escherichia coli isolated from South Korea

Kuastros Mekonnen Belaynehe¹, Ho Geun Won¹, In Joong Yoon², Han Sang Yoo¹

¹Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University
²Chung Ang Vaccine Laboratory

Correspondence: Han Sang Yoo, Tel: 82-2-880-1263, Fax: 82-2-874-2738,
Email: yoohs@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

The production of rmtB-encoded 16S rRNA methylases has emerged as a novel mechanism promoting high-level resistance toward aminoglycosides in Gram-negative bacteria. Between 2015 and 2017, 636 distinct commensal Escherichia (E.) coli isolates were collected from different farms in South Korea to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of rmtB. The positive rates of rmtB between all the isolates and amikacin-resistant isolates were 1.1 and 100%, respectively. High-level aminoglycoside resistance could be transferred by conjugation from rmtB-positive donors to higher amikacin-resistance efficacies. This is the first report of 16S rRNA methylase-encoding genes in E. coli isolated from food-producing animals in Korea.

Key Words: Escherichia coli, 16S RMTase gene, amikacin resistance, transferability