Skip to main content
PMC home page
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1990 Feb;34(2):302–305. doi: 10.1128/aac.34.2.302

Molecular epidemiology of beta-lactamase-producing enterococci.

J E Patterson 1, A Wanger 1, K K Zscheck 1, M J Zervos 1, B E Murray 1
PMCID: PMC171577  PMID: 2109577

Abstract

Plasmids from the first six reported beta-lactamase-producing (Bla+) enterococci were compared for genetic relatedness. Bla+ enterococcal plasmids from strains isolated in Houston, Tex.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Connecticut; and Pittsburgh, Pa., had heterogeneous HaeIII and MspI-ClaI restriction endonuclease digestion patterns. A staphylococcal beta-lactamase probe hybridized to all six Bla+ enterococcal plasmids, but hybridization was detected on different HaeIII and MspI-ClaI fragments of the six plasmids. An enterococcal gentamicin resistance (Gmr) probe hybridized to a common 3.9-kilobase HaeIII fragment from the five Gmr plasmids. The Houston plasmid was cross-hybridized to the other five strains, and moderate to extensive homology was demonstrated. Bla+ enterococcal plasmids from a broad geographic range are heterogeneous with respect to size and restriction endonuclease digestion patterns but contain homologous genetic material, including Bla+ and Gmr determinants.

Full text

PDF
302

Images in this article

303Image
on p.303
303Image
on p.303
304Image
on p.304

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Courvalin P., Carlier C., Collatz E. Plasmid-mediated resistance to aminocyclitol antibiotics in group D streptococci. J Bacteriol. 1980 Aug;143(2):541–551. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.2.541-551.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ferretti J. J., Gilmore K. S., Courvalin P. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the gene specifying the bifunctional 6'-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase 2"-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase enzyme in Streptococcus faecalis and identification and cloning of gene regions specifying the two activities. J Bacteriol. 1986 Aug;167(2):631–638. doi: 10.1128/jb.167.2.631-638.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hoffmann S. A., Moellering R. C., Jr The enterococcus: "putting the bug in our ears". Ann Intern Med. 1987 May;106(5):757–761. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-106-5-757. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Krogstad D. J., Korfhagen T. R., Moellering R. C., Jr, Wennersten C., Swartz M. N. Aminoglycoside-inactivating enzymes in clinical isolates of Streptococcus faecalis. An explanation for resistance to antibiotic synergism. J Clin Invest. 1978 Aug;62(2):480–486. doi: 10.1172/JCI109149. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. McLaughlin J. R., Murray C. L., Rabinowitz J. C. Unique features in the ribosome binding site sequence of the gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus beta-lactamase gene. J Biol Chem. 1981 Nov 10;256(21):11283–11291. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Murray B. E., An F. Y., Clewell D. B. Plasmids and pheromone response of the beta-lactamase producer Streptococcus (Enterococcus) faecalis HH22. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1988 Apr;32(4):547–551. doi: 10.1128/aac.32.4.547. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Murray B. E., Church D. A., Wanger A., Zscheck K., Levison M. E., Ingerman M. J., Abrutyn E., Mederski-Samoraj B. Comparison of two beta-lactamase-producing strains of Streptococcus faecalis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1986 Dec;30(6):861–864. doi: 10.1128/aac.30.6.861. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Murray B. E., Mederski-Samaroj B. Transferable beta-lactamase. A new mechanism for in vitro penicillin resistance in Streptococcus faecalis. J Clin Invest. 1983 Sep;72(3):1168–1171. doi: 10.1172/JCI111042. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Murray B. E., Mederski-Samoraj B., Foster S. K., Brunton J. L., Harford P. In vitro studies of plasmid-mediated penicillinase from Streptococcus faecalis suggest a staphylococcal origin. J Clin Invest. 1986 Jan;77(1):289–293. doi: 10.1172/JCI112289. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Patterson J. E., Colodny S. M., Zervos M. J. Serious infection due to beta-lactamase-producing Streptococcus faecalis with high-level resistance to gentamicin. J Infect Dis. 1988 Nov;158(5):1144–1145. doi: 10.1093/infdis/158.5.1144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Patterson J. E., Masecar B. L., Kauffman C. A., Schaberg D. R., Hierholzer W. J., Jr, Zervos M. J. Gentamicin resistance plasmids of enterococci from diverse geographic areas are heterogeneous. J Infect Dis. 1988 Jul;158(1):212–216. doi: 10.1093/infdis/158.1.212. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Patterson J. E., Masecar B. L., Zervos M. J. Characterization and comparison of two penicillinase-producing strains of Streptococcus (Enterococcus) faecalis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1988 Jan;32(1):122–124. doi: 10.1128/aac.32.1.122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Patterson J. E., Zervos M. J. Susceptibility and bactericidal activity studies of four beta-lactamase-producing enterococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1989 Feb;33(2):251–253. doi: 10.1128/aac.33.2.251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Weber D. A., Goering R. V. Tn4201, a beta-lactamase transposon in Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1988 Aug;32(8):1164–1169. doi: 10.1128/aac.32.8.1164. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Yagi Y., Kessler R. E., Shaw J. H., Lopatin D. E., An F., Clewell D. B. Plasmid content of Streptococcus faecalis strain 39-5 and identification of a pheromone (cPD1)-induced surface antigen. J Gen Microbiol. 1983 Apr;129(4):1207–1215. doi: 10.1099/00221287-129-4-1207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Zervos M. J., Kauffman C. A., Therasse P. M., Bergman A. G., Mikesell T. S., Schaberg D. R. Nosocomial infection by gentamicin-resistant Streptococcus faecalis. An epidemiologic study. Ann Intern Med. 1987 May;106(5):687–691. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-106-5-687. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES