Nucleotide sequence analysis of the gene specifying the bifunctional 6'-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase 2"-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase enzyme in Streptococcus faecalis and identification and cloning of gene regions specifying the two activities.

The gene specifying the bifunctional 6'-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase [AAC(6')] 2"-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase [APH(2")] enzyme from the Streptococcus faecalis plasmid pIP800 was cloned in Escherichia coli. A single protein with an apparent molecular weight of 56,000 was specified by this cloned determinant as detected in minicell experiments. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the presence of an open reading frame capable of specifying a protein of 479 amino acids and with a molecular weight of 56,850. The deduced amino acid sequence of the bifunctional AAC(6')-APH(2") gene product possessed two regions of homology with other sequenced resistance proteins. The N-terminal region contained a sequence that was homologous to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase of Bacillus pumilus, and the C-terminal region contained a sequence homologous to the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase of Streptomyces fradiae. Subcloning experiments were performed with the AAC(6')-APH(2") resistance determinant, and it was possible to obtain gene segments independently specifying the acetyltransferase and phosphotransferase activities. These data suggest that the gene specifying the AAC(6')-APH(2") resistance enzyme arose as a result of a gene fusion.