The Penicillin Resistance of Enterococcus Faecalis Jh2-2r Results from an Overproduction of the Low-Affinity Penicillin-Binding Protein Pbp4 and Does Not Involve a Psr-Like Gene
[en] A penicillin-resistant mutant, JH2-2r (MIC 75 microg ml(-1)), was isolated from Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 (MIC 5 microg ml(-1)) by successive passages on plates containing increasing concentrations of benzylpenicillin. A comparison of the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) profiles in the two strains revealed a more intensely labelled PBP4 in JH2-2r. Because the sequences of the JH2-2 and JH2-2r pbp4 genes were strictly identical, even in their promoter regions, this intensive labelling could only be associated with an overproduction of the low-affinity PBP4. No psr gene analogous to that proposed to act as a regulator of PBP5 synthesis in Enterococcus hirae and Enterococcus faecium could be identified in the vicinity of pbp4 in E. faecalis JH2-2 and JH2-2r. However, a psr-like gene distant from pbp4 was identified. The cloning and sequencing of that psr-like gene from both E. faecalis strains indicated that they were identical. It is therefore postulated that the PBP4 overproduction in E. faecalis JH2-2r results from the modification of an as yet unidentified factor.
Disciplines :
Microbiology
Author, co-author :
Duez, Colette ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre d'ingénierie des protéines
Zorzi, Willy ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Histologie humaine
Sapunaric, Frédéric ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre d'ingénierie des protéines
Amoroso, Ana Maria ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre d'ingénierie des protéines
Thamm, Iris ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la vie > Département des sciences de la vie
Coyette, Jacques ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté des sciences) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Sciences)
Language :
English
Title :
The Penicillin Resistance of Enterococcus Faecalis Jh2-2r Results from an Overproduction of the Low-Affinity Penicillin-Binding Protein Pbp4 and Does Not Involve a Psr-Like Gene
Publication date :
September 2001
Journal title :
Microbiology
ISSN :
1350-0872
eISSN :
1465-2080
Publisher :
Society for General Microbiology, Reading RG7 1AG, United Kingdom
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