Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1983 Feb;153(2):627–634. doi: 10.1128/jb.153.2.627-634.1983

Transfer of resistance plasmids from Staphylococcus epidermidis to Staphylococcus aureus: evidence for conjugative exchange of resistance.

B A Forbes, D R Schaberg
PMCID: PMC221678  PMID: 6822476

Abstract

The ability of Staphylococcus epidermidis to transfer antimicrobial resistance to Staphylococcus aureus was tested by mixed culture on filter membranes. Two of six clinical isolates examined were able to transfer resistance to S. aureus strains 879R4RF, RN450RF, and UM1385RF. Subsequent S.aureus transconjugants resulting from matings with S. epidermidis donors were able to serve as donors to other S. aureus strains at similar frequencies. Cell-free and mitomycin C-induced filtrates of donors and transconjugants showed no plaque-forming ability. Addition of DNase I, citrate, EDTA, calcium chloride, and human sera to mating mixes and agar showed no effect on transfer. Nonviable donor cells were unable to transfer resistance and transfer did not occur at 4 degrees C. Cell-to-cell contact was required since transfer did not occur in broth or when filters of donor and recipient, respectively, were placed back-to-back so cells were not in direct contact. Analysis of DNA from S. epidermidis isolate UM899, its subsequent S. aureus transconjugants, and cured derivatives demonstrated that all resistance markers which transferred resided on plasmids. Mating experiments suggested a central role for the gentamicin plasmid pAM899-1 in the transfer process. It is concluded that our results are consistent with a conjugative transfer of resistance from S. epidermidis to S. aureus analogous to plasmid transfer demonstrated in streptococcal species for plasmids such as pAM beta 1. This represents a novel mechanism for gene exchange among staphylococci.

Full text

PDF
627

Images in this article

632Image
on p.632

Selected References

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

  1. Behnke D., Ferretti J. J. Physical mapping of plasmid pDB101: a potential vector plasmid for molecular cloning in streptococci. Plasmid. 1980 Sep;4(2):130–138. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(80)90002-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Clewell D. B. Plasmids, drug resistance, and gene transfer in the genus Streptococcus. Microbiol Rev. 1981 Sep;45(3):409–436. doi: 10.1128/mr.45.3.409-436.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cohen S., Sweeney H. M. Transduction of Methicillin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Dependent on an Unusual Specificity of the Recipient Strain. J Bacteriol. 1970 Dec;104(3):1158–1167. doi: 10.1128/jb.104.3.1158-1167.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Engel H. W., Soedirman N., Rost J. A., van Leeuwen W. J., van Embden J. D. Transferability of macrolide, lincomycin, and streptogramin resistances between group A, B, and D streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1980 May;142(2):407–413. doi: 10.1128/jb.142.2.407-413.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fawcett C. J., Lord V. L., Lacey R. W. Failure of coagulase-negative staphylococci to transfer antibiotic resistance to Staphylococcus aureus 1030 in mixed cultures. J Gen Microbiol. 1981 Oct;126(2):507–509. doi: 10.1099/00221287-126-2-507. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Groves D. J. Interspecific relationships of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus sp.: isolation and comparison of plasmids determining tetracycline resistance in S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Can J Microbiol. 1979 Dec;25(12):1468–1475. doi: 10.1139/m79-227. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Harwick H. J., Weiss P., Fekety F. R., Jr Application of microtitration techniques to bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotic susceptibility testing. J Lab Clin Med. 1968 Sep;72(3):511–516. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Iordanescu S., Surdeanu M., Della Latta P., Novick R. Incompatibility and molecular relationships between small Staphylococcal plasmids carrying the same resistance marker. Plasmid. 1978 Sep;1(4):468–479. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(78)90005-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jaffe H. W., Sweeney H. M., Nathan C., Weinstein R. A., Kabins S. A., Cohen S. Identity and interspecific transfer of gentamicin-resistance plasmids in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. J Infect Dis. 1980 Jun;141(6):738–747. doi: 10.1093/infdis/141.6.738. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jaffe H. W., Sweeney H. M., Weinstein R. A., Kabins S. A., Nathan C., Cohen S. Structural and phenotypic varieties of gentamicin resistance plasmids in hospital strains of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1982 May;21(5):773–779. doi: 10.1128/aac.21.5.773. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lacey R. W. Antibiotic resistance plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus and their clinical importance. Bacteriol Rev. 1975 Mar;39(1):1–32. doi: 10.1128/br.39.1.1-32.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lacey R. W. Evidence for two mechanisms of plasmid transfer in mixed cultures of Staphylococcus aureus. J Gen Microbiol. 1980 Aug;119(2):423–435. doi: 10.1099/00221287-119-2-423. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lacey R. W. High-frequency transfer of neomycin resistance between naturally occurring strains of Staphylococcus aureus. J Med Microbiol. 1971 Feb;4(1):73–84. doi: 10.1099/00222615-4-1-73. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lacey R. W., Richmond M. H. The genetic basis of antibiotic resistance in S. aureus: the importance of gene transfer in the evolution of this organism in the hospital environment. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1974 Jul 31;236(0):395–412. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1974.tb41506.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lacey R. W., Stokes A. Studies on recently isolated cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Gen Microbiol. 1979 Oct;114(2):329–339. doi: 10.1099/00221287-114-2-329. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lacey R. W. Transfer of tetracycline-resistance between strains of Staphylococcus aureus in mixed cultures. J Gen Microbiol. 1971 Dec;69(2):229–237. doi: 10.1099/00221287-69-2-229. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lantos J. Transfer of erythromycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung. 1977;24(2):107–113. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Macrina F. L., Wood P. H., Jones K. R. Simple method for demonstrating small plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid molecules in oral streptococci. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 May;39(5):1070–1073. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.5.1070-1073.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Meijers J. A., Winkler K. C., Stobberingh E. E. Resistance transfer in mixed cultures of Staphylococcus aureus. J Med Microbiol. 1981 Feb;14(1):21–39. doi: 10.1099/00222615-14-1-21. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Naidoo J., Noble W. C. Transfer of gentamicin resistance between strains of Staphylococcus aureus on skin. J Gen Microbiol. 1978 Aug;107(2):391–393. doi: 10.1099/00221287-107-2-391. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Nordström K., Forsgren A., Cox P. Prevention of bacteriophage adsorption to Staphylococcus aureus by immunoglobulin G. J Virol. 1974 Aug;14(2):203–206. doi: 10.1128/jvi.14.2.203-206.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. PATTEE P. A., BALDWIN J. N. Transduction of resistance to chlortetracycline and novobiocin in Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1961 Dec;82:875–881. doi: 10.1128/jb.82.6.875-881.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Schaberg D. R., Clewell D. B., Glatzer L. Conjugative transfer of R-plasmids from Streptococcus faecalis to Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1982 Aug;22(2):204–207. doi: 10.1128/aac.22.2.204. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Sjöström J. E., Löfdahl S., Philipson L. Transformation of Staphylococcus aureus by heterologous plasmids. Plasmid. 1979 Oct;2(4):529–535. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(79)90052-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Smith M. D., Guild W. R. Improved method for conjugative transfer by filter mating of Streptococcus pneumoniae. J Bacteriol. 1980 Oct;144(1):457–459. doi: 10.1128/jb.144.1.457-459.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Thompson N. E., Pattee P. A. Transformation in Staphylococcus aureus: role of bacteriophage and incidence of competence among strains. J Bacteriol. 1977 Feb;129(2):778–788. doi: 10.1128/jb.129.2.778-788.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Witte W. Transfer of drug-resistance-plasmids in mixed cultures of Staphylococci. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig A. 1977;237(2-3):147–159. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Yu L., Baldwin J. N. Intraspecific transduction in Staphylococcus epidermidis and interspecific transduction between Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Can J Microbiol. 1971 Jun;17(6):767–773. doi: 10.1139/m71-122. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES