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PMID: 6411768 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

Transferable beta-lactamase. A new mechanism for in vitro penicillin resistance in Streptococcus faecalis.

The Journal of clinical investigation ·Vol. 72 ·No. 3 ·1983-09-00 ·Pages 1168-71

Murray BE, Mederski-Samaroj B

Abstract

Although enterococci are relatively resistant to penicillin, the mechanism of resistance is largely unknown and enzymatic inactivation does not play a role. In this study, an isolate of Streptococcus faecalis was found to have beta lactamase activity resulting in complete inactivation of penicillin. With a high inoculum, this strain was resistant to greater than 1,000 micrograms/ml of penicillin. Penicillin resistance and beta lactamase activity were transferred by conjugation at a high frequency to an enterococcal laboratory recipient strain together with two plasmids of molecular size 34 X 10(6) and 56 X 10(6), thus demonstrating the emergence of plasmid-mediated penicillin resistance in the genus Streptococcus.

MeSH Terms
Enterococcus faecalis/drug effects,enzymology,genetics Humans Penicillin Resistance Penicillinase/biosynthesis,metabolism Penicillins/pharmacology Plasmids Streptococcal Infections/drug therapy,etiology beta-Lactamases/metabolism
Chemicals
Penicillins Penicillinase beta-Lactamases
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Murray B E
Mederski-Samaroj B
References (19)
19 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
The Journal of clinical investigation
Abbr.
J Clin Invest
ISSN
0021-9738
DOI
10.1172/JCI111042
Published
1983-09-00
Pages
1168-71
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7802877
PMCID
PMC1129285
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1172/JCI111042 PMC Full Text View journal details
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