The Open Food Science Journal

2008, 2 : 72-76
Published online 2008 June 30. DOI: 10.2174/1874256400802010072
Publisher ID: TOFSJ-2-72

Vancomycin-Resistant Lactococcus lactis 1A-1 Isolated from a Competitive Exclusion Product Transfers Vancomycin Resistance Genes to Staphylococcus aureus

R. Doug Wagner , Dedeh Kurniasih-Rubin and Shemedia J. Johnson
Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, HFT-250, 3900 NCTR Rd., Jefferson, AR 72022, USA.

ABSTRACT

A vancomycin-resistant Lactococcus lactis isolate 1A-1 from a competitive exclusion (CE) product contained plasmid-encoded vanA, B, C1, and C2/3 genes. The L. lactis 1A-1 conjugatively transferred the genes to Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. CE product bacteria may be reservoirs for dissemination of vanA, B, and C genes to the human gastrointestinal microbiota.