Characterization of a non-functional erm(T) gene in a clinical Enterococcus faecium strain.

This article, published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, discusses the characterization of a non-functional erm(T) gene in a clinical strain of Enterococcus faecium. The erm(T) gene is typically associated with inducible erythromycin resistance in lactobacilli, streptococci, and staphylococci. However, this study identified an erythromycin-susceptible E. faecium strain that harbored a defective erm(T) gene. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the strain belonged to clonal complex CC17 and that the erm(T) gene was located on a chromosomal integrative and conjugative element. This is the first report of a non-functional erm(T) gene with rearrangements in the leader peptide and coding sequence, potentially explaining the strain's erythromycin susceptibility. The study was supported by a grant from MIUR-Italy. [Extracted from the article]