14 results on '"Tammaro, Federica"'
Search Results
2. Molecular characterization and evolution of a gene family encoding male-specific reproductive proteins in the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
- Author
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Sharakhov Igor V, Masiga Daniel, Morlais Isabelle, George Phillip, Serrao Aurelio, Calzetta Maria, Tammaro Federica, Baldini Francesco, Mancini Emiliano, Rogers David W, Catteruccia Flaminia, and della Torre Alessandra
- Subjects
Evolution ,QH359-425 - Abstract
Abstract Background During copulation, the major Afro-tropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. transfers male accessory gland (MAG) proteins to females as a solid mass (i.e. the "mating plug"). These proteins are postulated to function as important modulators of female post-mating responses. To understand the role of selective forces underlying the evolution of these proteins in the A. gambiae complex, we carried out an evolutionary analysis of gene sequence and expression divergence on a pair of paralog genes called AgAcp34A-1 and AgAcp34A-2. These encode MAG-specific proteins which, based on homology with Drosophila, have been hypothesized to play a role in sperm viability and function. Results Genetic analysis of 6 species of the A. gambiae complex revealed the existence of a third paralog (68-78% of identity), that we named AgAcp34A-3. FISH assays showed that this gene maps in the same division (34A) of chromosome-3R as the other two paralogs. In particular, immuno-fluorescence assays targeting the C-terminals of AgAcp34A-2 and AgAcp34A-3 revealed that these two proteins are localized in the posterior part of the MAG and concentrated at the apical portion of the mating plug. When transferred to females, this part of the plug lies in proximity to the duct connecting the spermatheca to the uterus, suggesting a potential role for these proteins in regulating sperm motility. AgAcp34A-3 is more polymorphic than the other two paralogs, possibly because of relaxation of purifying selection. Since both unequal crossing-over and gene conversion likely homogenized the members of this gene family, the interpretation of the evolutionary patterns is not straightforward. Although several haplotypes of the three paralogs are shared by most A. gambiae s.l. species, some fixed species-specific replacements (mainly placed in the N- and C-terminal portions of the secreted peptides) were also observed, suggesting some lineage-specific adaptation. Conclusions Progress in understanding the signaling cascade in the A. gambiae reproductive pathway will elucidate the interaction of this MAG-specific protein family with their female counterparts. This knowledge will allow a better evaluation of the relative importance of genes involved in the reproductive isolation and fertility of A. gambiae species and could help the interpretation of the observed evolutionary patterns.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Molecular evolution of a gene cluster of serine proteases expressed in the Anopheles gambiae female reproductive tract
- Author
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Tramontano Anna, Sharakhov Igor V, Audisio Paolo, George Phillip, Raimondo Domenico, Via Allegra, Baldini Francesco, Tammaro Federica, Mancini Emiliano, Catteruccia Flaminia, and Torre Alessandra della
- Subjects
molecular evolution ,reproduction ,adaptive evolution ,gene duplication ,Anopheles gambiae complex ,Evolution ,QH359-425 - Abstract
Abstract Background Genes involved in post-mating processes of multiple mating organisms are known to evolve rapidly due to coevolution driven by sexual conflict among male-female interacting proteins. In the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae - a monandrous species in which sexual conflict is expected to be absent or minimal - recent data strongly suggest that proteolytic enzymes specifically expressed in the female lower reproductive tissues are involved in the processing of male products transferred to females during mating. In order to better understand the role of selective forces underlying the evolution of proteins involved in post-mating responses, we analysed a cluster of genes encoding for three serine proteases that are down-regulated after mating, two of which specifically expressed in the atrium and one in the spermatheca of A. gambiae females. Results The analysis of polymorphisms and divergence of these female-expressed proteases in closely related species of the A. gambiae complex revealed a high level of replacement polymorphisms consistent with relaxed evolutionary constraints of duplicated genes, allowing to rapidly fix novel replacements to perform new or more specific functions. Adaptive evolution was detected in several codons of the 3 genes and hints of episodic selection were also found. In addition, the structural modelling of these proteases highlighted some important differences in their substrate specificity, and provided evidence that a number of sites evolving under selective pressures lie relatively close to the catalytic triad and/or on the edge of the specificity pocket, known to be involved in substrate recognition or binding. The observed patterns suggest that these proteases may interact with factors transferred by males during mating (e.g. substrates, inhibitors or pathogens) and that they may have differently evolved in independent A. gambiae lineages. Conclusions Our results - also examined in light of constraints in the application of selection-inference methods to the closely related species of the A. gambiae complex - reveal an unexpectedly intricate evolutionary scenario. Further experimental analyses are needed to investigate the biological functions of these genes in order to better interpret their molecular evolution and to assess whether they represent possible targets for limiting the fertility of Anopheles mosquitoes in malaria vector control strategies.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Epidemic diffusion of OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in Italy: results of the first cross-sectional countrywide survey
- Author
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Principe, Luigi, Piazza, Aurora, Giani, Tommaso, Bracco, Silvia, Caltagirone, Maria Sofia, Arena, Fabio, Nucleo, Elisabetta, Tammaro, Federica, Rossolini, Gian Maria, Pagani, Laura, Luzzaro, Francesco, DI GESU', VERONICA GAETANA, Toniolo, A., Serra, MASSIMO RAFFAELE, Pini, B., Fortina, G., Mori, M., Dusi, P. A., Fontana, R., Aschbacher, R., Sarti, M., Rumpianesi, F., Pecile, P., Mencacci, A., Manso, E., Tronci, M., Fazii, P., Labonia, M., Pizzolante, M., Amato, G., Buonopane, P., Giraldi, C., Conaldi, P. G., and Stefani, S.
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Microbiology (medical) ,Acinetobacter baumannii ,Genotype ,Sequence analysis ,Epidemiology ,Drug Resistance ,Microbial Sensitivity Tests ,Biology ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,beta-Lactamases ,Microbiology ,law.invention ,law ,Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ,Genetic variation ,medicine ,Prevalence ,Cluster Analysis ,Humans ,Epidemics ,Polymerase chain reaction ,Acinetobacter Infections ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Genes, Bacterial ,Genetic Variation ,Italy ,Molecular Epidemiology ,Molecular Typing ,Sequence Analysis, DNA ,Molecular epidemiology ,Bacterial ,DNA ,biology.organism_classification ,Genes ,Colistin ,Multilocus sequence typing ,Multiple ,Sequence Analysis ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) is emerging worldwide as a public health problem in various settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CRAb isolates in Italy and to characterize their resistance mechanisms and genetic relatedness. A countrywide cross-sectional survey was carried out at 25 centers in mid-2011. CRAb isolates were reported from all participating centers, with overall proportions of 45.7% and 22.2% among consecutive nonreplicate clinical isolates of A. baumannii from inpatients ( n = 508) and outpatients ( n = 63), respectively. Most of them were resistant to multiple antibiotics, whereas all remained susceptible to colistin, with MIC 50 and MIC 90 values of ≤0.5 mg/liter. The genes coding for carbapenemase production were identified by PCR and sequencing. OXA-23 enzymes (found in all centers) were by far the most common carbapenemases (81.7%), followed by OXA-58 oxacillinases (4.5%), which were found in 7 of the 25 centers. In 6 cases, CRAb isolates carried both bla OXA-23-like and bla OXA-58-like genes. A repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR technique, multiplex PCRs for group identification, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were used to determine the genetic relationships among representative isolates ( n = 55). Two different clonal lineages were identified, including a dominant clone of sequence type 2 (ST2) related to the international clone II (sequence group 1 [SG1], SG4, and SG5) and a clone of ST78 (SG6) previously described in Italy. Overall, our results demonstrate that OXA-23 enzymes have become the most prevalent carbapenemases and are now endemic in Italy. In addition, molecular typing profiles showed the presence of international and national clonal lineages in Italy.
- Published
- 2014
5. BMC EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
- Author
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Mancini, Emiliano, Francesco, Baldini, Tammaro, Federica, Calzetta, Maria, Aurelio, Serrao, George, Phillip, George, P., Isabelle, Morlais, Sharakov, I. V., Daniel, Masiga, Sharakhov, Igor V., Rogers, David W., Flaminia, Catteruccia, DELLA TORRE, Alessandra, Laboratorio Pasteur [Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome], Institut Pasteur, Fondation Cenci Bolognetti - Istituto Pasteur Italia, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Università degli Studi di Perugia (UNIPG), Virginia Tech [Blacksburg], Laboratoire d’Entomologie Médicale [Yaounde, Cameroon], Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), ICIPE, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Imperial College London, The work was supported by EC FP7 HEALTH Collaborative Project 'MALVECBLOK' (Grant ID: 223601) to AdT and FC (Grant ID: 223601). The European Research Council has provided financial support under the EC FP7 ERC Starting Grant 'AnoRep' to FC (Grant ID: 260897). FISH experiments were funded by National Institutes of Health (Grant ID: 5R21AI081023). FC was supported by the Medical Research Council Career Development Award (Agreement ID: 78415, File number: G0600062) and EM by the Ateneo Federato delle Scienze delle Politiche Pubbliche e Sanitarie, Sapienza University of Rome and by C.I.R.M. - Italian Malaria Network., We thank F. Santolamazza for helping in A. gambiae species identification, F. Lombardo for technical help with cDNA preparation and S. Demin for explaining the image processing procedure. We thank our colleagues who allowed this study by providing samples, in particular: D. Charlwood (DBL, Fredriksberg, Denmark), J. Pinto (CMDT, Lisbon, Portugal), H. Ranson and M. Donnelly (LSTM, Liverpool, UK) and S. Torr and G. Vale (University of Greenwich, UK). We are also grateful to J. Bielawski, B. Caputo, M.K. Lawniczak, T. Lehmann, E. Levashina, V. Petrarca, J. Thailayil and A. Tramontano's research group for fruitful discussions., Mancini, Emiliano, Francesco, Baldini, Federica, Tammaro, Maria, Calzetta, Aurelio, Serrao, George, Phillip, P., George, Isabelle, Morlai, I. V., Sharakov, Daniel, Masiga, Igor V., Sharakhov, David W., Roger, Flaminia, Catteruccia, Alessandra Della, Torre, Entomology, and Università degli Studi di Perugia = University of Perugia (UNIPG)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Male ,MESH: Insect Hormones/genetics ,MESH: Multigene Family/genetics ,Anopheles gambiae ,MESH: Microscopy, Fluorescence ,01 natural sciences ,Homology (biology) ,Gene duplication ,RAPID EVOLUTION ,Drosophila Proteins ,MESH: Drosophila Proteins/genetics ,MESH: Animals ,MESH: In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ,MESH: Models, Genetic ,In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ,Genetics ,Genetics & Heredity ,0303 health sciences ,Chromosome Mapping ,MESH: Peptides/genetics ,3. Good health ,ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION ,GENOME ,ARABIENSIS ,MESH: Anopheles/genetics ,duplication ,Insect Hormones ,Multigene Family ,Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ,Female ,ACCESSORY-GLAND PROTEINS ,Drosophila melanogaster ,MESH: Haplotypes/genetics ,Research Article ,MESH: Computational Biology ,Protein family ,MESH: Bayes Theorem ,Blotting, Western ,malaria ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,[SDV.BDLR.RS]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Reproductive Biology/Sexual reproduction ,Evolution, Molecular ,03 medical and health sciences ,MESH: Insect Hormones/metabolism ,DNA POLYMORPHISM ,Anopheles ,MESH: Evolution, Molecular ,evolution ,QH359-425 ,Gene family ,Animals ,MESH: Blotting, Western ,Gene conversion ,POPULATION-GENETICS ,Mating plug ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,030304 developmental biology ,Evolutionary Biology ,COMPLEX ,Models, Genetic ,Computational Biology ,Bayes Theorem ,biology.organism_classification ,MESH: Male ,[SDV.GEN.GA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Animal genetics ,Haplotypes ,Microscopy, Fluorescence ,Evolutionary biology ,DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER ,CONSECUTIVE MATINGS ,Peptides ,MESH: Chromosome Mapping ,MESH: Female - Abstract
Background During copulation, the major Afro-tropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. transfers male accessory gland (MAG) proteins to females as a solid mass (i.e. the "mating plug"). These proteins are postulated to function as important modulators of female post-mating responses. To understand the role of selective forces underlying the evolution of these proteins in the A. gambiae complex, we carried out an evolutionary analysis of gene sequence and expression divergence on a pair of paralog genes called AgAcp34A-1 and AgAcp34A-2. These encode MAG-specific proteins which, based on homology with Drosophila, have been hypothesized to play a role in sperm viability and function. Results Genetic analysis of 6 species of the A. gambiae complex revealed the existence of a third paralog (68-78% of identity), that we named AgAcp34A-3. FISH assays showed that this gene maps in the same division (34A) of chromosome-3R as the other two paralogs. In particular, immuno-fluorescence assays targeting the C-terminals of AgAcp34A-2 and AgAcp34A-3 revealed that these two proteins are localized in the posterior part of the MAG and concentrated at the apical portion of the mating plug. When transferred to females, this part of the plug lies in proximity to the duct connecting the spermatheca to the uterus, suggesting a potential role for these proteins in regulating sperm motility. AgAcp34A-3 is more polymorphic than the other two paralogs, possibly because of relaxation of purifying selection. Since both unequal crossing-over and gene conversion likely homogenized the members of this gene family, the interpretation of the evolutionary patterns is not straightforward. Although several haplotypes of the three paralogs are shared by most A. gambiae s.l. species, some fixed species-specific replacements (mainly placed in the N- and C-terminal portions of the secreted peptides) were also observed, suggesting some lineage-specific adaptation. Conclusions Progress in understanding the signaling cascade in the A. gambiae reproductive pathway will elucidate the interaction of this MAG-specific protein family with their female counterparts. This knowledge will allow a better evaluation of the relative importance of genes involved in the reproductive isolation and fertility of A. gambiae species and could help the interpretation of the observed evolutionary patterns.
- Published
- 2011
6. Molecular evolution of a cluster of female serine proteases involved in reproductive processes of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
- Author
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Tammaro, Federica
- Published
- 2011
7. Molecular evolution of two accessory gland proteins in Anopheles gambiae
- Author
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Mancini, Emiliano, Tammaro, Federica, Catteruccia, F, and DELLA TORRE, Alessandra
- Published
- 2009
8. L'evoluzione dell'ematofagia nei neogasteropodi
- Author
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Tammaro, Federica, Modica, M. V., and Oliverio, M.
- Published
- 2008
9. Molecular characterization and evolution of a gene family encoding male-specific reproductive proteins in the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
- Author
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Mancini, Emiliano, Baldini, Frecesco, Tammaro, Federica, Calzetta, Maria, Serrao, Aurello, George, Philip, Morlais, Isabelle, Masiga, Daniel, Sharakhov, Igor V., Rogers, David W., Catteruccia, F;a,omoa, della Torre, Alessandra, Mancini, Emiliano, Baldini, Frecesco, Tammaro, Federica, Calzetta, Maria, Serrao, Aurello, George, Philip, Morlais, Isabelle, Masiga, Daniel, Sharakhov, Igor V., Rogers, David W., Catteruccia, F;a,omoa, and della Torre, Alessandra
- Abstract
Background: During copulation, the major Afro-tropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. transfers male accessory gland (MAG) proteins to females as a solid mass (i.e. the “mating plug”). These proteins are postulated to function as important modulators of female post-mating responses. To understand the role of selective forces underlying the evolution of these proteins in the A. gambiae complex, we carried out an evolutionary analysis of gene sequence and expression divergence on a pair of paralog genes called AgAcp34A-1 and AgAcp34A-2. These encode MAG-specific proteins which, based on homology with Drosophila, have been hypothesized to play a role in sperm viability and function. Results: Genetic analysis of 6 species of the A. gambiae complex revealed the existence of a third paralog (68-78% of identity), that we named AgAcp34A-3. FISH assays showed that this gene maps in the same division (34A) of chromosome-3R as the other two paralogs. In particular, immuno-fluorescence assays targeting the C-terminals of AgAcp34A-2 and AgAcp34A-3 revealed that these two proteins are localized in the posterior part of the MAG and concentrated at the apical portion of the mating plug. When transferred to females, this part of the plug lies in proximity to the duct connecting the spermatheca to the uterus, suggesting a potential role for these proteins in regulating sperm motility. AgAcp34A-3 is more polymorphic than the other two paralogs, possibly because of relaxation of purifying selection. Since both unequal crossing-over and gene conversion likely homogenized the members of this gene family, the interpretation of the evolutionary patterns is not straightforward. Although several haplotypes of the three paralogs are shared by most A. gambiae s.l. species, some fixed species-specific replacements (mainly placed in the N- and C-terminal portions of the secreted peptides) were also observed, suggesting some lineage-specific adaptation. Conclusions: Progress in understandi
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Molecular characterization and evolution of a gene family encoding male-specific reproductive proteins in the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
- Author
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Entomology, Mancini, Emiliano, Baldini, Frecesco, Tammaro, Federica, Calzetta, Maria, Serrao, Aurello, George, Philip, Morlais, Isabelle, Masiga, Daniel, Sharakhov, Igor V., Rogers, David W., Catteruccia, F;a,omoa, della Torre, Alessandra, Entomology, Mancini, Emiliano, Baldini, Frecesco, Tammaro, Federica, Calzetta, Maria, Serrao, Aurello, George, Philip, Morlais, Isabelle, Masiga, Daniel, Sharakhov, Igor V., Rogers, David W., Catteruccia, F;a,omoa, and della Torre, Alessandra
- Abstract
Background: During copulation, the major Afro-tropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. transfers male accessory gland (MAG) proteins to females as a solid mass (i.e. the “mating plug”). These proteins are postulated to function as important modulators of female post-mating responses. To understand the role of selective forces underlying the evolution of these proteins in the A. gambiae complex, we carried out an evolutionary analysis of gene sequence and expression divergence on a pair of paralog genes called AgAcp34A-1 and AgAcp34A-2. These encode MAG-specific proteins which, based on homology with Drosophila, have been hypothesized to play a role in sperm viability and function. Results: Genetic analysis of 6 species of the A. gambiae complex revealed the existence of a third paralog (68-78% of identity), that we named AgAcp34A-3. FISH assays showed that this gene maps in the same division (34A) of chromosome-3R as the other two paralogs. In particular, immuno-fluorescence assays targeting the C-terminals of AgAcp34A-2 and AgAcp34A-3 revealed that these two proteins are localized in the posterior part of the MAG and concentrated at the apical portion of the mating plug. When transferred to females, this part of the plug lies in proximity to the duct connecting the spermatheca to the uterus, suggesting a potential role for these proteins in regulating sperm motility. AgAcp34A-3 is more polymorphic than the other two paralogs, possibly because of relaxation of purifying selection. Since both unequal crossing-over and gene conversion likely homogenized the members of this gene family, the interpretation of the evolutionary patterns is not straightforward. Although several haplotypes of the three paralogs are shared by most A. gambiae s.l. species, some fixed species-specific replacements (mainly placed in the N- and C-terminal portions of the secreted peptides) were also observed, suggesting some lineage-specific adaptation. Conclusions: Progress in understandi
- Published
- 2011
11. Molecular characterization and evolution of a gene family encoding male-specific reproductive proteins in the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
- Author
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Mancini, Emiliano, primary, Baldini, Francesco, additional, Tammaro, Federica, additional, Calzetta, Maria, additional, Serrao, Aurelio, additional, George, Phillip, additional, Morlais, Isabelle, additional, Masiga, Daniel, additional, Sharakhov, Igor V, additional, Rogers, David W, additional, Catteruccia, Flaminia, additional, and della Torre, Alessandra, additional
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Molecular evolution of a gene cluster of serine proteases expressed in the Anopheles gambiae female reproductive tract
- Author
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Mancini, Emiliano, primary, Tammaro, Federica, additional, Baldini, Francesco, additional, Via, Allegra, additional, Raimondo, Domenico, additional, George, Phillip, additional, Audisio, Paolo, additional, Sharakhov, Igor V, additional, Tramontano, Anna, additional, Catteruccia, Flaminia, additional, and Torre, Alessandra della, additional
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Fattori di rischio per la toxoplasmosi in gravidanza in una popolazione del centro Italia.
- Author
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Thaller, Raffaella, Tammaro, Federica, and Pentimalli, Henny
- Published
- 2011
14. Epidemic Diffusion of OXA-23-Producing Acinetobacter baumanniiIsolates in Italy: Results of the First Cross-Sectional Countrywide Survey
- Author
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Principe, Luigi, Piazza, Aurora, Giani, Tommaso, Bracco, Silvia, Caltagirone, Maria Sofia, Arena, Fabio, Nucleo, Elisabetta, Tammaro, Federica, Rossolini, Gian Maria, Pagani, Laura, and Luzzaro, Francesco
- Abstract
ABSTRACTCarbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAb) is emerging worldwide as a public health problem in various settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CRAb isolates in Italy and to characterize their resistance mechanisms and genetic relatedness. A countrywide cross-sectional survey was carried out at 25 centers in mid-2011. CRAb isolates were reported from all participating centers, with overall proportions of 45.7% and 22.2% among consecutive nonreplicate clinical isolates of A. baumanniifrom inpatients (n= 508) and outpatients (n= 63), respectively. Most of them were resistant to multiple antibiotics, whereas all remained susceptible to colistin, with MIC50and MIC90values of =0.5 mg/liter. The genes coding for carbapenemase production were identified by PCR and sequencing. OXA-23 enzymes (found in all centers) were by far the most common carbapenemases (81.7%), followed by OXA-58 oxacillinases (4.5%), which were found in 7 of the 25 centers. In 6 cases, CRAb isolates carried both blaOXA-23-likeand blaOXA-58-likegenes. A repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR technique, multiplex PCRs for group identification, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were used to determine the genetic relationships among representative isolates (n= 55). Two different clonal lineages were identified, including a dominant clone of sequence type 2 (ST2) related to the international clone II (sequence group 1 [SG1], SG4, and SG5) and a clone of ST78 (SG6) previously described in Italy. Overall, our results demonstrate that OXA-23 enzymes have become the most prevalent carbapenemases and are now endemic in Italy. In addition, molecular typing profiles showed the presence of international and national clonal lineages in Italy.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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