Putative Integrative Mobile Elements That Exploit the Xer Recombination Machinery Carrying bla IMI -Type Carbapenemase Genes in Enterobacter cloacae Complex Isolates in Singapore.

Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 16 isolates of the carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex to determine the flanking regions of bla IMI -type genes. Phylogenetic analysis of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) targets separated the isolates into 4 clusters. The bla IMI -type genes were all found on Xer-dependent integrative mobile elements (IMEX). The IMEX elements of 5 isolates were similar to those described in Canada, while the remainder were novel. Five isolates had IMEX elements lacking a resolvase and recombinase.