Gments amplified from SXT integrase and topoisomerase genes were sequenced and subsequently, the sequences were assembled for each amplicon. The assembled sequences were analysed by nucleotide BLAST search at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website (http://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov). Alignment of the topoisomerase sequences used DNASTAR. All new data corresponding to the DNA sequences of SXT integrase and topoisomerase genes were deposited in GenBank and the accession numbers have been 25033180 mentioned in the appropriate places in results section.Antimicrobial Susceptibility TestingV. cholerae Lecirelin site isolates were tested for their susceptibility to ampicillin (10 mg), chloramphenicol (30 mg), co-trimoxazole (1.25 mg trimethoprim/23.75 mg sulfamethoxazole), ciprofloxacin (5 mg), gentamicin (10 mg), streptomycin (10 mg), sulfisoxazole (300 mg), trimethoprim (5 mg), tetracycline (30 mg), neomycin (30 mg), CASIN nalidixic acid (30 mg), norfloxacin (10 mg), kanamycin (30 mg) and polymixin B (300 units) by the disk diffusion method using commercial disks (HiMedia, Mumbai, India) in accordance with the criteria recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards [22]. When no interpretive criteria for V. cholerae were available based on CLSI guidelines, breakpoints for enterobacteriaceae were applied. E. coli ATCC 25922 was used for quality control.Results Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Clinical IsolatesThe isolates were identified as V. cholerae O1 Ogawa El Tor with standard biochemical tests and serogroup analysis. These isolates showed varying antibiograms but a common resistance profile was clearly evident (Figure 1). The isolates were found to be resistant to nalidixic acid (100 ), co-trimoxazole (99.2 ), sufisoxazole (99.2 ), polymixin B (99.2 ), trimethoprim (98.3 ) and strepSXT in V. cholerae Isolates from Indiatomycin (97.4 ). All the isolates showed susceptibility to gentamicin and very few showed resistance to norfloxacin (1.7 ) and kanamycin (3.4 ). Notably, though all the strains showed resistance to nalidixic acid, resistance to fluorinated quinolones like norfloxacin (1.7 ) and ciprofloxacin (12.6 ) was not that extensive. Additionally, resistance to SXT-borne traits like chloramphenicol (23.5 ) did not correspond to the carriage of other SXT-associated traits like trimethoprim (98.3 ), streptomycin (97.4 ) and sulfisoxazole (99.2 ) indicating the possibility of SXT variants in this population of clinical isolates [6].Presence of SXT Element and Class 1 IntegronOne hundred and seventeen of the 119 isolates produced a1.0 kb amplicon with primers specific for SXT integrase (Figure 2). Sequence analysis of this amplicon was done using BLAST and sequence for the isolate IDH02596 was deposited into GenBank (JQ013431). Results revealed that the SXT sequence had 99 identity to SXT integrase from many other isolates including ICEVchInd5 from Sevagram, India (GQ463142), ICEVchBan5 from Bangladesh (GQ463140) and VC1786ICE sequence from Haiti outbreak (JN648379). In all the 117 isolates, presence of SXT element correlated with resistance to cotrimoxazole. All the isolates were negative for class 1 integron in PCR assay.Transfer of Resistance Traits by ConjugationTo confirm the transferability of SXT element, conjugation experiments were carried out with two representative SXTpositive isolates (IDH01572 and IDH01738) as donors using E. coli XL1-Blue cells as recipients. IDH02095, a SXT-negative isolate, was take.Gments amplified from SXT integrase and topoisomerase genes were sequenced and subsequently, the sequences were assembled for each amplicon. The assembled sequences were analysed by nucleotide BLAST search at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website (http://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov). Alignment of the topoisomerase sequences used DNASTAR. All new data corresponding to the DNA sequences of SXT integrase and topoisomerase genes were deposited in GenBank and the accession numbers have been 25033180 mentioned in the appropriate places in results section.Antimicrobial Susceptibility TestingV. cholerae isolates were tested for their susceptibility to ampicillin (10 mg), chloramphenicol (30 mg), co-trimoxazole (1.25 mg trimethoprim/23.75 mg sulfamethoxazole), ciprofloxacin (5 mg), gentamicin (10 mg), streptomycin (10 mg), sulfisoxazole (300 mg), trimethoprim (5 mg), tetracycline (30 mg), neomycin (30 mg), nalidixic acid (30 mg), norfloxacin (10 mg), kanamycin (30 mg) and polymixin B (300 units) by the disk diffusion method using commercial disks (HiMedia, Mumbai, India) in accordance with the criteria recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards [22]. When no interpretive criteria for V. cholerae were available based on CLSI guidelines, breakpoints for enterobacteriaceae were applied. E. coli ATCC 25922 was used for quality control.Results Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Clinical IsolatesThe isolates were identified as V. cholerae O1 Ogawa El Tor with standard biochemical tests and serogroup analysis. These isolates showed varying antibiograms but a common resistance profile was clearly evident (Figure 1). The isolates were found to be resistant to nalidixic acid (100 ), co-trimoxazole (99.2 ), sufisoxazole (99.2 ), polymixin B (99.2 ), trimethoprim (98.3 ) and strepSXT in V. cholerae Isolates from Indiatomycin (97.4 ). All the isolates showed susceptibility to gentamicin and very few showed resistance to norfloxacin (1.7 ) and kanamycin (3.4 ). Notably, though all the strains showed resistance to nalidixic acid, resistance to fluorinated quinolones like norfloxacin (1.7 ) and ciprofloxacin (12.6 ) was not that extensive. Additionally, resistance to SXT-borne traits like chloramphenicol (23.5 ) did not correspond to the carriage of other SXT-associated traits like trimethoprim (98.3 ), streptomycin (97.4 ) and sulfisoxazole (99.2 ) indicating the possibility of SXT variants in this population of clinical isolates [6].Presence of SXT Element and Class 1 IntegronOne hundred and seventeen of the 119 isolates produced a1.0 kb amplicon with primers specific for SXT integrase (Figure 2). Sequence analysis of this amplicon was done using BLAST and sequence for the isolate IDH02596 was deposited into GenBank (JQ013431). Results revealed that the SXT sequence had 99 identity to SXT integrase from many other isolates including ICEVchInd5 from Sevagram, India (GQ463142), ICEVchBan5 from Bangladesh (GQ463140) and VC1786ICE sequence from Haiti outbreak (JN648379). In all the 117 isolates, presence of SXT element correlated with resistance to cotrimoxazole. All the isolates were negative for class 1 integron in PCR assay.Transfer of Resistance Traits by ConjugationTo confirm the transferability of SXT element, conjugation experiments were carried out with two representative SXTpositive isolates (IDH01572 and IDH01738) as donors using E. coli XL1-Blue cells as recipients. IDH02095, a SXT-negative isolate, was take.