Vancomycin resistance factor of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in relation to enterococcal vancomycin resistance (van) genes

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) is a probiotic strain used in fermented dairy products in many countries and is also used as a food supplement in the form of freeze-dried powder. The relationship of the vancomycin resistance factor in L. rhamnosus GG and the vancomycin resistance (van) genes of Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium were studied using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Southern hybridization and conjugation methods. Our results show that the vancomycin resistance determinant in L. rhamnosus GG is not closely related to enterococcal van genes, since no PCR product was amplified in L. rhamnosus GG with any of the three sets of vanA primers used, and enterococcal vanA, vanB, vanH, vanX, vanZ, vanY, vanS and vanR genes did not hybridize with DNA of L. rhamnosus GG. This strain does not contain plasmids and transfer of chromosomal vancomycin resistance determinant from L. rhamnosus GG to enterococcal species was not detected. Our results are in accordance with previous findings of intrinsically vancomycin-resistant lactic acid bacteria.