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. 1978 Jun;61(6):1645–1653. doi: 10.1172/JCI109085

Plasmid-mediated resistance to antibiotic synergism in enterococci.

D J Krogstad, T R Korfhagen, R C Moellering Jr, C Wennersten, M N Swartz
PMCID: PMC372691  PMID: 659619

Abstract

Mating experiments have shown that high-level resistance (minimal inhibitory concentration greater than 2,000 microgram/ml) to streptomycin and kanamycin, and resistance to penicillin-streptomycin and penicillin-kanamycin synergism are transferable by conjugation from resistant clinical isolates of enterococci to a sensitive recipient strain. Cesium chloride-ethidium bromide ultracentrifugation revealed a satellite (plasmid) band in resistant clinical isolates and the transconjugant strains but not in the sensitive recipient. Examination of these satellite bands by agarose gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy demonstrated a common plasmid with a weight of 45 megadaltons. Novobiocin treatment of a resistant clinical isolate produced simultaneous loss of high-level resistance to streptomycin and kanamycin, and of resistance to penicillin-aminoglycoside synergism. These results suggest that (a) high-level resistance to streptomycin and kanamycin among some clinical isolates of enterococci is associated with a 45 megadalton plasmid, and (b) the same plasmid is also responsible for the resistance to penicillin-aminoglycoside synergism observed in these strains.

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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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