Polypeptides implicated in the expression of resistance to glycopeptides, in particular in Gram-positive bacteria, nucleotide sequence coding for these polypeptides and use for diagnosis

Abstract

The invention relates to a composition of polypeptides, characterized in that it contains at least one protein or part of a protein selected from the sequences of amino acids identified in the list of the sequences as SEQ ID NO 1 (VanH), SEQ ID NO 2 (VanA), SEQ ID NO 3 (VanX) or SEQ ID NO 19 (VanC), or any protein or part of a protein recognized by the antibodies directed against VanH, VanA, VanX or VanC, or any protein or part of a protein encoded in a sequence hybridizing with one of the nucleotide sequences identified in the list of the sequences as SEQ ID NO 8, SEQ ID NO 9 or SEQ ID NO 10 or with one of the following sequences V1 or V2 under stringent or only slightly stringent conditions: V1: GGX GAA GAT GGX TCX TTX CAA GGX   G   C AG C   G A V2: AAT ACX ATX CCX GGX TTT AC   C T   C C The invention also relates to the nucleotide sequences coding for these polypeptides as well as their utilization for the diagnosis of resistance to the glycopeptides.

1 - 28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . A composition comprising at least one isolated protein which is encoded by a nucleic acid hybridizing to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1 (vanH), SEQ ID NO:5 (vanX), SEQ ID NO:7 (vanC), SEQ ID NO:11 (vanR), SEQ ID NO:13 (vanS), SEQ ID NO:18 (transposase), SEQ ID NO:20 (resolvase), SEQ ID NO:22 (vanY) SEQ ID NO:24 (vanZ), SEQ ID NO:9 (V1) and SEQ ID NO:10 (V2) under high stringency conditions comprising hybridization overnight at 65° C. in a solution containing 0.1% SDS, 0.7% skim milk 6×SSC and washing at 65° C. in 2×SSC and 0.1% SDS, wherein said at least one isolated protein being necessary for conferring resistance to glycopeptides in gram-positive bacteria.  
     
     
         30 . The composition according to  claim 29 , wherein the at least one isolated protein selected from the group consisting of VanH (SEQ ID NO:2), VanX (SEQ ID NO:6), VanC (SEQ ID NO:8), VanR (SEQ ID NO:12), VanS (SEQ ID NO:14), transposase (SEQ ID NO:19), resolvase (SEQ ID NO:21), VanY (SEQ ID NO:23), VanZ (SEQ ID NO:25) or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The composition according to claim  1  comprising: 
 (a) an isolated protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence hybridizing to VanR (SEQ ID NO:11) under high stringency conditions, wherein said protein when combined with (b) is capable of increasing the level of said resistance to glycopeptides in gram-positive bacteria; and    (b) an isolated protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence hybridizing to VanS (SEQ ID NO:13) under high stringency conditions, wherein said protein when combined with (a) is capable of increasing the level of said resistance to glycopeptides in gram-positive bacteria.    
     
     
         32 . A composition according to  claim 31 , comprising VanR (SEQ ID NO:12) and VanS (SEQ ID NO:14).  
     
     
         33 . The composition according to  claim 32 , further comprising at least one isolated protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence hybridizing to SEQ ID NO:17 under high stringency conditions.  
     
     
         34 . The composition according to  claim 33 , further comprising at least one isolated protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence hybridizing to SEQ ID NO:1 (vanH), SEQ ID NO:5 (vanX) or SEQ ID NO:3 (vana) under high stringency conditions.  
     
     
         35 . The composition according to  claim 35 , further comprising VanH (SEQ ID NO:2), VanX (SEQ ID NO:) and VanA (SEQ ID NO:).