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

This study investigated the prevalence of nim genes (proposed to encode a 5 -nitroimidazole resistance product) in 64 anaerobic/facultative anaerobic b acteria. Employing universal nim gene primers, 458-bp amplified fragments w ere recorded as presumptive positives in 22/64 strains at an annealing temp erature of 52 degrees C and 15/64 strains at 62 degrees C, of which seven w ere propionibacteria. DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of nimA genes i n Propionibacterium spp. (five strains), Actinomyces odontolyticus (one str ain). Prevotella bivia (one strain) and Clostridium bifermentans (one strai n) and nimB genes from five strains of Bacteroides fragilis. nimA genes wer e predominant in propionibacteria indicating a potential nimA gene source i n anaerobic environments. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological S ocieties. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.