A Conjugative MDR PMG1-Like Plasmid Carrying the (E) Gene of With Potential Transmission to

(E) is a pleuromutilin, lincosamide, and streptogramin A (PLSA phenotype) resistance gene that was first described in and was thought to have been transferred from sp. This study aimed to elucidate the prevalence of the (E) gene among isolates at a tertiary teaching hospital and to evaluate the transferability of the (E) gene from to . A total of 96 strains isolated from one hospital in Beijing in 2013 were analysed for quinupristin-dalfopristin (QDA) resistance genes, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed. The transferability of QDA resistance between ten strains and four strains was determined by filter mating. Genome sequencing of the transconjugant was performed. A total of 46 isolates (46/96, 47.92%) tested positive for (E), while two isolates (2/96, 2.08%) tested positive for (A). Thirty-six (E)-positive strains (36/46, 78.3%) belonged to ST78. Among 40 mating tests, (E) was successfully transferred through one conjugation at a frequency of 1.125 × 10 transconjugants per donor. The QDA resistance of the transconjugant N7435-R3645 was expressed at a higher level (MIC = 16 mg/L) than that of the parent strain (MIC = 0.38 mg/L). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of the transconjugant N7435-R3645 showed that the complete sequence of the (E)-carrying plasmid pN7435-R3645 had a size of 92,396 bp and a G + C content of 33% (accession no. MT022086). The genetic map of pN7435-R3645 had high nucleotide similarity and shared the main open reading frame (ORF) features with two plasmids: pMG1 (AB206333.1) and LS170308 (CP025078.1). The gene of pN7435-R3645 showed 100% identity with that of pMG1, although it did not belong to the 1-19 family but instead a unique family. Multiple antibiotic resistance genes, including (E), and (B), (B), -Ia, and (B), were present on the plasmid. In conclusion, an (E)-carrying plasmid that can be transferred by conjugation from to was identified. This multidrug resistance (MDR) pMG1-like plasmid may act as a vector in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance among species.