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. 1979 Oct;16(4):427–433. doi: 10.1128/aac.16.4.427

Beta-lactam resistance in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli caused by elevated production of the ampC-mediated chromosomal beta-lactamase.

S Bergström, S Normark
PMCID: PMC352877  PMID: 391149

Abstract

Among cephalothin-resistant isolates from patients with urinary tract infections, six Escherichia coli strains were found to produce elevated amounts of a beta-lactamase indistinguishable from that coded by the ampC gene of E. coli K-12. The resistance levels displayed by these isolates toward a number of beta-lactams were, for five of them, considerably higher as compared with E. coli K-12 with the same amount of beta-lactamase, implying the importance of intrinsic resistance in these isolates. Cefuroxime, and to a lesser extent cefamandole, were stable to hydrolysis by E. coli chromosomal beta-lactamase but acted as inhibitors of the enzyme. Nevertheless, increased beta-lactamase production mediated an increased resistance toward these drugs. No plasmids were found in the isolates, suggesting a chromosomal location for the respective ampC locus.

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Selected References

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

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