Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1980 Oct;40(4):756–764. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.4.756-764.1980

R-plasmid transfer frequencies from environmental isolates of Escherichia coli to laboratory and fecal strains.

D R Shaw, V J Cabelli
PMCID: PMC291656  PMID: 6999996

Abstract

Multiple-drug-resistant strains of Escherichia coli were isolated from the water at an estuarine site. They represented about 8.3% of the total E. coli population. Fifty-five strains, representing each of the 32 resistance patterns identified, were mated with an E. coli K-12 F- strain. Matings were performed on membrane filters, and the cells were washed to remove any colicins produced by the donors. Thirty-one strains, about 5% of the mean E. coli density in the samples, transferred drug resistance and, hence, posessed conjugative R plasmids. Of these, 80% transferred drug resistance at a frequency of about 10(-4) or less. Nine environmental R+ strains were mated with three fecal recipients. The R-plasmid transfer frequencies to the fecal strains from the environmental donors correlated well with those from a derepressed K-12 R+ laboratory donor. The R+ X K-12 F- lac- transconjugants from 16 environmental strains were "backcrossed" to a lac+ K-12 F- strain. All transfer frequencies were higher in the backcrosses than in the original matings from the environmental donor. Furthermore, 7 of 13 different transconjugants, which accepted plasmids at repressed frequencies of less than 10(-3), donated them at frequencies greater than 10(-2). This suggests that these were derepressed plasmids in a repressed host.

Full text

PDF
756

Selected References

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

  1. Anderson J. D. Factors that may prevent transfer of anti-biotic resistance between gram-negative bacteria in the gut. J Med Microbiol. 1975 Feb;8(1):83–88. doi: 10.1099/00222615-8-1-83. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson J. D. The effect of R-factor carriage on the survival of Escherichia coli in the human intestine. J Med Microbiol. 1974 Feb;7(1):85–90. doi: 10.1099/00222615-7-1-85. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Burt S. J., Woods D. R. R factor transfer to obligate anaerobes from Escherichia coli. J Gen Microbiol. 1976 Apr;93(2):405–409. doi: 10.1099/00221287-93-2-405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cagle G. D. Fine structure and distribution of extracellular polymer surrounding selected aerobic bacteria. Can J Microbiol. 1975 Mar;21(3):395–408. doi: 10.1139/m75-055. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Feary T. W., Sturtevant A. B., Jr, Lankford J. Antibiotic-resistant coliforms in fresh and salt water. Arch Environ Health. 1972 Sep;25(3):215–220. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1972.10666163. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Guiney D. G., Jr, Davis C. E. Identification of a conjugative R plasmid in Bacteroides ochraceus capable of transfer to Escherichia coli. Nature. 1978 Jul 13;274(5667):181–182. doi: 10.1038/274181a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kelch W. J., Lee J. S. Antibiotic resistance patterns of gram-negative bacteria isolated from environmental sources. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 Sep;36(3):450–456. doi: 10.1128/aem.36.3.450-456.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Levy S. B., McMurry L. Detection of an inducible membrane protein associated with R-factor-mediated tetracycline resistance. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1974 Feb 27;56(4):1060–1068. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(74)80296-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Linton A. H., Howe K., Bennett P. M., Richmond M. H., Whiteside E. J. The colonization of the human gut by antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli from chickens. J Appl Bacteriol. 1977 Dec;43(3):465–469. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1977.tb00773.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Linton K. B., Lee P. A., Richmond M. H., Gillespie W. A., Rowland A. J., Baker V. N. Antibiotic resistance and transmissible R-factors in the intestinal coliform flora of healthy adults and children in an urban and a rural community. J Hyg (Lond) 1972 Mar;70(1):99–104. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400022130. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mancini C., Behme R. J. Transfer of multiple antibiotic resistance from Bacteroides fragilis to Escherichia coli. J Infect Dis. 1977 Oct;136(4):597–600. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.4.597. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Meynell E., Datta N. Mutant drug resistant factors of high transmissibility. Nature. 1967 May 27;214(5091):885–887. doi: 10.1038/214885a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Meynell E., Meynell G. G., Datta N. Phylogenetic relationships of drug-resistance factors and other transmissible bacterial plasmids. Bacteriol Rev. 1968 Mar;32(1):55–83. doi: 10.1128/br.32.1.55-83.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Petrocheilou V., Grinsted J., Richmond M. H. R-plasmid transfer in vivo in the absence of antibiotic selection pressure. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976 Oct;10(4):753–761. doi: 10.1128/aac.10.4.753. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Privitera G., Sebald M., Fayolle F. Common regulatory mechanism of expression and conjugative ability of a tetracycline resistance plasmid in Bacteroides fragilis. Nature. 1979 Apr 12;278(5705):657–659. doi: 10.1038/278657a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rosenberg M. L., Hazlet K. K., Schaefer J., Wells J. G., Pruneda R. C. Shigellosis from swimming. JAMA. 1976 Oct 18;236(16):1849–1852. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Smith H. W. Incidence of R + Escherichia coli in coastal bathing waters of Britain. Nature. 1971 Nov 19;234(5325):155–156. doi: 10.1038/234155a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Smith H. W. Survival of orally administered E. coli K 12 in alimentary tract of man. Nature. 1975 Jun 5;255(5508):500–502. doi: 10.1038/255500a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Smith H. W. Transfer of antibiotic resistance from animal and human strains of Escherichia coli to resident E. coli in the alimentary tract of man. Lancet. 1969 Jun 14;1(7607):1174–1176. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92164-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sturtevant A. B., Jr, Feary T. W. Incidence of infectious drug resistance among lactose-fermenting bacteria isolated from raw and treated sewage. Appl Microbiol. 1969 Nov;18(5):918–924. doi: 10.1128/am.18.5.918-924.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Terawaki Y., Takayasu H., Akiba T. Thermosensitive replication of a kanamycin resistance factor. J Bacteriol. 1967 Sep;94(3):687–690. doi: 10.1128/jb.94.3.687-690.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. VOGEL H. J., BONNER D. M. Acetylornithinase of Escherichia coli: partial purification and some properties. J Biol Chem. 1956 Jan;218(1):97–106. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. WATANABE T. Infective heredity of multiple drug resistance in bacteria. Bacteriol Rev. 1963 Mar;27:87–115. doi: 10.1128/br.27.1.87-115.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Watkins W. D., Thomas C. D., Cabelli V. J. Membrane filter procedure for enumeration of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1976 Nov;32(5):679–684. doi: 10.1128/aem.32.5.679-684.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES