Cloning of insertion sequence IS1485 from Enterococcus species

We have cloned and identified an insertion sequence, ISI485, that was prese nt in several members of the genus Enterococcus. IS1485 exists in varying c opy numbers with at least 12 copies in E. durans (ATCC 11576), 3 copies in E. faecium (ATCC 19434), and one copy each in E. faecalis (ATCC 19433) and E. avium (ATCC 14024). It was also detected in clinical strains of E. galli narum, E. casseliflavus, and E. saccharolyticus. IS1485 is 1366 bp in lengt h, it has imperfect terminal inverted repeats with 25 of the terminal 39 re sidues matched, and it contains three open reading frames exceeding 50 codo ns, designated orfA, orfB, and orfC. The largest, orfB, was located 36 bp d ownstream and in the -1 reading frame relative to orfA; orfC is oriented in the opposite direction and overlaps orfA. The genetic organization of IS14 85 resembles that of members of the IS3 family of transposable elements. Se quence homology exists with several members of the IS3 family especially wi th IS199 from Streptococcus mutans. (C) 1999 Academic Press.