Distribution of the antiseptic-resistance geneqacEΔ1in Gram-positive bacteria

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Abstract
The distribution of the antiseptic-resistance genes qacE and qacEΔ1, originally isolated from Gram-negative bacteria, was studied in a large number of Gram-positive bacteria by a method that included the polymerase chain reaction. A total of 151 strains of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus, isolated from clinical sources and obtained from the Japanese Collection of Microorganisms, was used in this analysis. We found the qacEΔ1 gene in 36 of 103 strains of Staphylococcus and in nine of 48 strains of Enterococcus. All of the strains in which we detected the qacEΔ1 gene were clinical isolates. The qacE gene was not detected in any of the strains examined in this study. The nucleotide sequences of the qacEΔ1 genes from the strains of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus were identical to that of the gene located on integron InC in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results indicate that the antiseptic-resistance gene qacEΔ1 is present in Gram-positive, as well as Gram-negative, bacteria.