Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mobile Gene Cassettes and Integrons

  • Published:
Molecular Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Integrons are unique natural systems for capturing and spreading the antibiotic resistance genes among Gram-negative bacteria. Gene transfer into small genomes and into plasmids is via site-specific recombination. Integrons act as receptors of antibiotic resistance cassettes. There are known more than 50 cassettes conferring resistance to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and other antibiotics. The structure of integrons and of gene cassettes are described and the mechanisms of capture, mobilization, and expression of cassettes considered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Ouellette, M., Bissonnette, L., and Roy, P.H., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1987, vol. 84, pp. 7378-7382.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Sundström, L., Radström, P., Swedberg, G., and Sköld, O., Mol. Gen. Genet., 1988, vol. 213, pp. 191-201.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Stokes, H.W. and Hall, R.M., Mol. Microbiol., 1989, vol. 3, pp. 1669-1683.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Martinez, E. and de laCruz, F., EMBO J., 1990, vol. 9, pp. 1275-1281.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hall, R.M. and Collis, C.M., Mol. Microbiol., 1995, vol. 15, pp. 593-600.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Recchia, G.D. and Hall, R.M., Microbiology, 1995, vol. 141, pp. 3015-3027.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hall, R.M., Ciba Found. Symp., 1997, vol. 207, pp. 192-202.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hall, R.M. and Stokes, H.W., Genetica, 1993, vol. 90, pp. 115-132.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Levesque, C., Brassard, S., Lapointe, J., and Roy, P.H., Gene, 1994, vol. 142, pp. 49-54.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Recchia, G.D. and Hall, R.M., Trends Microbiol., 1997, vol. 5, pp. 389-394.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Sundström, L., APMIS, 1998, suppl. 84, vol. 106, pp. 37-42.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Rowe-Magnus, D.A., Guerout, A-M., and Mazel, D., Res. Microbiol., 1999, vol. 150, pp. 1-11.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Komano, T., Annu. Rev. Genet., 1999, vol. 33, pp. 171-191.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ward, J.M. and Grinsted, J., Plasmid, 1982, vol. 7, pp. 239-250.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Meyer, J.F., Nies, B.A., and Wiedermann, B., J. Bacteriol., 1983, vol. 155, pp. 755-760.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Tanaka, M., Yamamoto, T., and Sawai, T., J. Bacteriol., 1983, vol. 155, pp. 1432-1438.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Schmidt, F. and Klopfer-Kaul, I., Mol. Gen. Genet., 1984, vol. 197, pp. 109-119.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Cameron, F.H., Obbink, D.J.G., Ackerman, V.P., and Hall, R.M., Nucleic Acids Res., 1986, vol. 14, pp. 8625-8635.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hall, R.M. and Vockler, C., Nucleic Acids Res., 1987, vol. 15, pp. 7491-7501.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Ouellette, M. and Roy, P.H., Nucleic Acids Res., 1987, vol. 15, p. 10 055.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Mazel, D. and Davies, J., Adv. Exp. Med. Biol., 1998, vol. 456, pp. 1-6.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Rowe-Magnus, D.A. and Mazel, D., Curr. Opin. Microbiol., 1999, vol. 2, pp. 483-488.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Sundström, L. and Sköld, O., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1990, vol. 34, pp. 642-650.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hall, R.M., Brookes, D.E., and Stokes, H.W., Mol. Microbiol., 1991, vol. 5, pp. 1941-1959.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Arakawa, Y., Murakami, M., Suzuki, K., et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1995, vol. 39, pp. 1612-1615.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Mazel, D., Dychinco, B., Webb, V.A., and Davies, J., Science, 1998, vol. 280, pp. 605-608.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Barker, A., Clark, C.A., and Manning, P.A., J. Bacteriol., 1994, vol. 176, pp. 5450-5458.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Clark, C.A., Purins, L., Kaewrakon, P., and Manning, P., Mol. Microbiol., 1997, vol. 26, pp. 1137-1143.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Ploy, M.C., Courvalin, P., and Lambert, T., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1998, vol. 42, pp. 2557-2563.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Jain, R., Rivera, M.C., and Lake, J.A., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1999, vol. 96, pp. 3801-3806.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Davies, J.E., Science, 1994, vol. 264, pp. 375-382.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Marshall, C.G., Broadhead, G., Leskiw, B.K., and Wright, G.D., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1997, vol. 94, pp. 6480-6483.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Marshall, C.G., Lessard, I.A., Park, I., and Wright, G.D., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1998, vol. 42, pp. 2215-2220.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Evers, S., Reynolds, P.E., and Courvalin, P., Gene, 1994, vol. 140, pp. 97-102.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Evers, S., Casadewall, B., Charles, M., et al., J. Mol. Evol., 1996, vol. 42, pp. 706-712.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Dutka-Malen, S., Molinas, C., Arthur, M., and Courvalin, P., Mol. Gen. Genet., 1990, vol. 224, pp. 364-372.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Collis, C.M. and Hall, R.M., Mol. Microbiol., 1992, vol. 6, pp. 2875-2885.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Stokes, H.W., O'Gorman, D.B., Recchia, G.D., et al., Mol. Microbiol., 1997, vol. 26, pp. 731-745.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Hulton, C.S.J., Higgins, C.F., and Sharp, P.M., Mol. Microbiol., 1991, vol. 5, pp. 825-834.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Gilson, E., Saurin, W., Perrin, D., et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1991, vol. 19, pp. 1375-1383.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Campbell, A.M., J. Bacteriol., 1992, vol. 174, pp. 7495-7499.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Hansson, K., Sköld, O., and Sundström, L., Mol. Microbiol., 1997, vol. 26, pp. 441-453.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Francia, M.V., de la Cruz, F., and Lobo, M.G., Mol. Microbiol., 1993, vol. 10, pp. 823-828.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Recchia, G.D., Stokes, H.W., and Hall, R.M., Nucleic Acids Res., 1994, vol. 22, pp. 2071-2078.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Recchia, G.D. and Hall, R.M., Mol. Microbiol., 1995, vol. 15, pp. 179-187.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Francia, M.V., Avila, P., de la Cruz, F., and Lobo, J.M.G., J. Bacteriol., 1997, vol. 179, pp. 4419-4425.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Collis, C.M., Grammaticopoulos, G., Briton, J., et al., Mol. Microbiol., 1993, vol. 9, pp. 41-52.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Francia, M.V. and Lobo, J.M.G., J. Bacteriol., 1996, vol. 178, pp. 894-898.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Landy, A., Annu. Rev. Biochem., 1989, vol. 58, pp. 913-949.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Martinez, E. and de la Cruz, F., Mol. Gen. Genet., 1988, vol. 211, pp. 320-321.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Craig, N.L., Annu. Rev. Genet., 1988, vol. 22, pp. 77-105.

    Google Scholar 

  52. Nash, H.A., Escherichia coli and Salmonella: Cellular and Molecular Biology, Neidhardt, F.C., Ed., Washington, DC: Am. Soc. Microbiol., 1996, 2nd ed., pp. 2363-2376.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Collis, C.M. and Hall, R.M., J. Bacteriol., 1992, vol. 174, pp. 1574-1585.

    Google Scholar 

  54. Francia, M.V., Zabala, J.C., de la Cruz, F., and Lobo, J.M.G., J. Bacteriol., 1999, vol. 181, pp. 6844-6849.

    Google Scholar 

  55. Collis, C.M., Kim, M.J., Stokes, H.W., and Hall, R.M., Mol. Microbiol., 1998, vol. 29, pp. 477-490.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Gravel, A., Messier, N., and Roy, P.H., J. Bacteriol., 1998, vol. 180, pp. 5437-5442.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Gravel, A., Fournier, B., and Roy, P.H., Nucleic Acids Res., 1998, vol. 26, pp. 4347-4355.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Stokes, H.W. and Hall, R.M., Plasmid, 1991, vol. 26, pp. 10-19.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Guerineau, F., Brooks, L., and Mullineaux, P., Plasmid, 1990, vol. 23, pp. 35-41.

    Google Scholar 

  60. Bunny, K.L., Hall, R.M., and Stokes, H.W., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1995, vol. 39, pp. 686-693.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Collis, C.M. and Hall, R.M., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1995, vol. 39, pp. 155-162.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbial Ecology and Genetics, Ural Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, 614081, Russia

    N. P. Kovalevskaya

Authors
  1. N. P. Kovalevskaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kovalevskaya, N.P. Mobile Gene Cassettes and Integrons. Molecular Biology 36, 196–201 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015361704475

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015361704475

Search

Navigation