Identification of the Conjugative mefGene in Clinical Acinetobacter juniiand Neisseria gonorrhoeaeIsolates

ABSTRACTThe mefgene, originally described for gram-positive organisms and coding for an efflux pump, has been identified in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter juniiandNeisseria gonorrhoeae. These strains could transfer themefgene at frequencies ranging from 10−6to 10−9into one or more of the following recipients: gram-negative Moraxella catarrhalis, Neisseria perflava/siccaand Neisseria mucosaand gram-positiveEnterococcus faecalis. Three Streptococcus pneumoniaestrains could transfer the mefgene intoEikenella corrodens, Haemophilus influenzae,Kingella denitrificans, M. catarrhalis,Neisseria meningitidis, N. perflava/sicca, andN. mucosaat similar frequencies. The mefgene can thus be transferred to and expressed in a variety of gram-negative recipients.