ERYTHROMYCIN RESISTANCE GENE FROM THE BACTEROIDES CONJUGAL TRANSPOSONTC-R EM(R)-7853 IS NEARLY IDENTICAL TO ERMG FROM BACILLUS-SPHAERICUS

Tc-r Em(r) 7853, from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron 7853, is a large ch romosomal conjugative transposon which encodes resistance to both tetr acycline (Tc-r) and erythromycin (Em(r)). The erythromycin resistance gene of Tc-r Em(r) 7853 did not cross-hybridize with ermF, the Em(r) g ene found on previously studied Bacteroides regular and conjugative tr ansposons. We have cloned and sequenced the erythromycin resistance ge ne from Tc-r Em(r) 7853. The DNA sequence of this gene was 99.6% ident ical to that of ermG from Bacillus sphaericus.