Characterization of a cfr-carrying plasmid from porcine Escherichia coli that closely resembles plasmid pEA3 from the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora

The multiresistance gene cfr was found in two porcine E. coli isolates, one harboring it on the conjugative 33,885-bp plasmid pFSEC-01, the other in the chromosomal DNA. Sequence analysis of pFSEC-01 revealed that a 6769-bp fragment containing the cfr gene bracketed by two IS26 elements was inserted into a plasmid closely related to pEA3 from the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora, suggesting pFSEC-01 may be transferred between different bacterial genera of both animal and plant origin.