# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 425 | 0 | 0.9900 | A novel ColV plasmid encoding type IV pili. Many septicaemic Escherichia coli strains harbour ColV virulence plasmids. This paper describes pO78V, a conjugative ColV plasmid from an avian pathogenic E. coli strain that encodes type IV pili in addition to other virulence-related genes and tetracycline resistance. Plasmid location of type IV pili genes was demonstrated using Southern hybridization and expression of the pili was demonstrated using RT-PCR and phage sensitivity assays. This is a first report of a ColV plasmid encoding type IV pili. Plasmid pO78V is a mosaic plasmid containing replicons and other genes typical to both IncI1 and IncFII groups. As type IV pili of Gram-negative bacteria are involved in several stages of infection, their presence on a ColV virulence plasmid could expand the repertoire of pathogenesis-related genes. | 2003 | 12576591 |
| 3038 | 1 | 0.9900 | Biotinylated probes for epidemiological studies of drug resistance in Salmonella krefeld. A gene probe for ampicillin resistance and one for sulphonamide resistance were prepared to study the origin and the relation of multiple drug resistances in Salmonella krefeld. The resistance genes were cloned into the pACYC184 vector of Escherichia coli from a common plasmid of S. krefeld that encoded for resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, streptomycin, sulphonamide and tetracycline resistance. Restriction map analysis and deletion analysis of a recombinant plasmid (pACSS1) showed that the gene determining ampicillin resistance was located on a 1.34 and 1.12 kb PstI fragment, and that the gene for sulphonamide resistance was located on a 0.85 kb PstI fragment. These fragments were used as probes. Their specificity was tested by colony hybridization with various bacterial species, including sensitive and resistance S. krefeld isolates. Further study indicated that the ampicillin resistance gene probe reacted with the gene for TEM-1 beta-lactamase and that the gene probe for sulphonamide resistance reacted with the gene for type II dihydropteroate synthase. The two probes were sufficiently specific to allow study of the epidemiology of resistance in S. krefeld and other enteric bacteria. | 1990 | 2190970 |
| 3035 | 2 | 0.9897 | Molecular characterization of plasmids with antimicrobial resistant genes in avian isolates of Pasteurella multocida. The complete nucleotide sequences of two plasmids from avian isolates of Pasteurella multocida that caused outbreaks of fowl cholera in Taiwan were determined. The entire sequences of the two plasmids, designated as pJR1 and pJR2, were 6792 bp and 5252 bp. Sequence analysis showed that the plasmid pJR1 contained six major genes: the first gene (sulII) encoded a type II sulfonamide resistant dihydropteroate synthase, the second gene (tetG) encoded a tetracycline resistance protein, the third gene (catB2) encoded a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, the fourth gene (rep) encoded a replication protein, and the fifth and sixth genes (mbeCy and deltambeAy) encoded proteins involved in the mobilization of plasmid. The plasmid pJR2 contained five major genes: the first gene (deltaintI1) encoded a truncated form of a type I integrase, the second gene (aadA1) encoded an aminoglycoside adenylyltransferase that confers resistance to streptomycin and spectinomycin, the third gene (blaP1) encoded a beta-lactamase that confers resistance to ampicillin and carbenicillin, and the fourth and fifth genes might encode proteins involved in the plasmid replication or segregation. Sequence comparisons showed that the antibiotic resistance genes found in pJR1 and pJR2 exhibited a high degree of sequence homology to the corresponding genes found in a great variety of gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium DT104, Psedomonas spp., P. multocida, Mannheimia spp., and Actinobacills pleuropneumoniae, which suggests that these resistance genes were disseminated in these bacteria. Although sulII and tetG genes were found previously in P. multocida or Mannheimia spp., this is the first report on the presence of catB2, aadA1, and blaP1 genes in bacteria of the family Pasturellaceae. Moreover, the aadA1 and blaP1 genes found in pJR2 were organized into an integron structure, which is a site-specific recombination system capable of capturing and mobilizing antibiotic resistance genes. This is also the first report on the presence of an integron in bacteria of the family Pasteurellaceae. The presence of a P. multocida integron might facilitate the spreading of antibiotic resistance genes between P. multocida and other gram-negative bacteria. | 2003 | 14708986 |
| 3047 | 3 | 0.9897 | Formaldehyde-resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: identification of resistance genes by DNA-hybridization. A 4.1. Kb large DNA fragment of a E. coli plasmid pVU 3695, on which the genes for formaldehyde-resistance are located, was used as a DNA probe to identify bacteria that carry this segment among formaldehyde-resistant bacteria. It was shown by Southern Blot-, Dot Blot-, and Colony Blot- Hybridization studies that the DNA of all formaldehyde-resistant E. coli, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains tested hybridize with the DNA probe from E. coli. In contrast the E. coli DNA probe does not hybridize with the DNA from formaldehyde-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. | 1991 | 1909132 |
| 5085 | 4 | 0.9896 | Multiplex asymmetric PCR-based oligonucleotide microarray for detection of drug resistance genes containing single mutations in Enterobacteriaceae. A multiplex asymmetric PCR (MAPCR)-based microarray method was developed for the detection of 10 known extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamase genes in gram-negative bacteria and for the typing of six important point mutations (amino acid positions 35, 43, 130, 179, 238, and 240) in the bla(SHV) gene. The MAPCR is based on a two-round reaction to promote the accumulation of the single-stranded amplicons amenable for microarray hybridization by employing multiple universal unrelated sequence-tagged primers and elevating the annealing temperature at the second round of amplification. A strategy to improve the discrimination efficiency of the microarray was constituted by introducing an artificial mismatch into some of the allele-specific oligonucleotide probes. The microarray assay correctly identified the resistance genes in both the reference strains and some 111 clinical isolates, and these results were also confirmed for some isolates by direct DNA sequence analysis. The resistance genotypes determined by the microarray correlated closely with phenotypic MIC susceptibility testing. This fast MAPCR-based microarray method should prove useful for undertaking important epidemiological studies concerning ESBLs and plasmid-mediated AmpC enzymes and could also prove invaluable as a preliminary screen to supplement phenotypic testing for clinical diagnostics. | 2007 | 17646412 |
| 5207 | 5 | 0.9895 | Complete genome sequences of bacteria isolated from cockroaches collected in a Bangladeshi hospital. We report the complete genome sequences of four bacterial strains that were isolated from Blattella germanica (German cockroaches) that were found in three wards of the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Multiple antibiotic resistance genes were identified in each genome, with one genome containing multiple plasmid-encoded resistance genes. | 2023 | 37606385 |
| 5044 | 6 | 0.9895 | Detection of Colistin Resistance in Salmonella enterica Using MALDIxin Test on the Routine MALDI Biotyper Sirius Mass Spectrometer. Resistance to polymyxins in most Gram-negative bacteria arises from chemical modifications to the lipid A portion of their lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mediated by chromosomally encoded mutations or the recently discovered plasmid-encoded mcr genes that have further complicated the landscape of colistin resistance. Currently, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination by broth microdilution, the gold standard for the detection of polymyxin resistance, is time consuming (24 h) and challenging to perform in clinical and veterinary laboratories. Here we present the use of the MALDIxin to detect colistin resistant Salmonella enterica using the MALDxin test on the routine matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) Biotyper Sirius system. | 2020 | 32582090 |
| 3050 | 7 | 0.9895 | The type VII dihydrofolate reductase: a novel plasmid-encoded trimethoprim-resistant enzyme from gram-negative bacteria isolated in Britain. Plasmid pUN835 was identified in an Escherichia coli strain isolated from an outbreak of porcine diarrhoea on a farm near Nottingham, UK. The trimethoprim resistance gene did not hybridize with any of the gene probes derived from known plasmid-encoded trimethoprim resistance genes. The trimethoprim resistance gene of pUN835 was shown to encode the production of a dihydrofolate reductase which confers high-level resistance on its host. This enzyme was smaller than most plasmid-encoded dihydrofolate reductases (molecular mass = 11,500) and was labile to heat. It had relatively low affinity for the substrate dihydrofolate (Km = 20 microM) and it was resistant to competitive inhibition by trimethoprim (Ki = 7.0 microM). We classify this novel enzyme as type VII. | 1989 | 2676936 |
| 415 | 8 | 0.9894 | Mobilization of plasmid-borne drug resistance determinants for transfer from Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Escherichia coli. RSU2, a plasmid transmissible between strains of P. aeruginosa but not to Escherichia coli can be mobilized by R751. Conjugatants receive a single plasmid composed of DNA from both R751 and RSU2 which has the compatibility properties of a member of group P (like R751). Study of this fusion plasmid suggests that the failure of RSU2 to transfer into enterobacteria is due to an inability to replicate in these bacteria. The fusion plasmid replicates using the genes of R751. | 1975 | 127114 |
| 3045 | 9 | 0.9893 | Plasmid-borne sulfonamide resistance determinants studied by restriction enzyme analysis. The relationship between sulfonamide resistance genes carried on different plasmids was investigated by restriction enzyme analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization. The results showed that sulfonamide resistance mediated by different plasmids is determined by the production of at least two different types of drug-resistant dihydropteroate synthase. Plasmids pGS01, pGS02, and R22259, found in bacteria isolated from patients in Swedish hospitals, contained identical sulfonamide resistance genes, which were also identical to those of plasmids R1, R100, R6, and R388. These latter plasmids, which have been well studied in different laboratories, were originally from clinical isolates from different parts of the world. Two other clinically isolated plasmids, pGS04 and pGS05, were shown to contain sulfonamide resistance determinants of a completely different type. | 1983 | 6298179 |
| 5991 | 10 | 0.9893 | Transferable plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance in Listeria monocytogenes. A strain of Listeria monocytogenes, isolated from a patient with meningoencephalitis, was resistant to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline. The genes conferring resistance to these antibiotics were carried by a 37-kb plasmid, pIP811, that was self-transferable to other L monocytogenes cells, to enterococci-streptococci, and to Staphylococcus aureus. The efficacy of transfer and the stability of pIP811 were higher in enterococci-streptococci than in the other gram-positive bacteria. As indicated by nucleic acid hybridisation, the genes in pIP811 conferring resistance to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and streptomycin were closely related to plasmid-borne determinants that are common in enterococci-streptococci. Plasmid pIP811 shared extensive sequence homology with pAM beta 1, the prototype broad host range resistance plasmid in these two groups of gram-positive cocci. These results suggest that emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance in Listeria spp is due to acquisition of a replicon originating in enterococci-streptococci. The dissemination of resistance to other strains of L monocytogenes is likely. | 1990 | 1972210 |
| 3057 | 11 | 0.9893 | An Enterobacter plasmid as a new genetic background for the transposon Tn1331. BACKGROUND: Genus Enterobacter includes important opportunistic nosocomial pathogens that could infect complex wounds. The presence of antibiotic resistance genes in these microorganisms represents a challenging clinical problem in the treatment of these wounds. In the authors' screening of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from complex wounds, an Enterobacter species was isolated that harbors antibiotic-resistant plasmids conferring resistance to Escherichia coli. The aim of this study was to identify the resistance genes carried by one of these plasmids. METHODS: The plasmids from the Enterobacter isolate were propagated in E. coli and one of the plasmids, designated as pR23, was sequenced by the Sanger method using fluorescent dyeterminator chemistry on a genetic analyzer. The assembled sequence was annotated by search of the GenBank database. RESULTS: Plasmid pR23 is composed of the transposon Tn1331 and a backbone plasmid that is identical to the plasmid pPIGDM1 from Enterobacter agglomerans. The multidrug-resistance transposon Tn1331, which confers resistance to aminoglycoside and beta lactam antibiotics, has been previously isolated only from Klebsiella. The Enterobacter plasmid pPIGDM1, which carries a ColE1-like origin of replication and has no apparent selective marker, appears to provide a backbone for propagation of Tn1331 in Enterobacter. The recognition sequence of Tn1331 transposase for insertion into pPIGDM1 is the pentanucleotide TATTA, which occurs only once throughout the length of this plasmid. CONCLUSION: Transposition of Tn1331 into the Enterobacter plasmid pPIGDM1 enables this transposon to propagate in this Enterobacter. Since Tn1331 was previously isolated only from Klebsiella, this report suggests horizontal transfer of this transposon between the two bacterial genera. | 2011 | 22259249 |
| 5229 | 12 | 0.9893 | Paradoxical High-Level Spiramycin Resistance and Erythromycin Susceptibility due to 23S rRNA Mutation in Streptococcus constellatus. Objectives: The aim of the study was to characterize phenotypically and genotypically an uncommon mechanism of resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramins (MLS) in a Streptococcus milleri group clinical isolate. Materials and Methods: The isolate UCN96 was recovered from an osteoradionecrosis wound, and was identified using the matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and the partial sequencing of the sodA gene. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing were carried out by the disk diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by the broth microdilution technique. PCR screening was performed for MLS resistance genes described in Gram-positive bacteria. Specific mutations in the ribosomal proteins L3-, L4-, and L22-encoding genes were also screened and those in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene (rrl). The number of mutated copies of the rrl gene was determined using amplification-refractory mutation system quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. Results: The clinical isolate UCN96 was unambiguously identified as Streptococcus constellatus. It was susceptible to all macrolides and lincosamides (ML) antibiotics except spiramycin (MIC >256 mg/L) while it was also resistant to streptogramins. Screening for all acquired resistance genes was negative and no mutation was found in genes coding for L3, L4, and L22 ribosomal proteins. Of interest, a single mutation, A2062C (according to Escherichia coli numbering), was detected in the domain V of 23S rRNA. Conclusion: Mutations at the position 2062 of 23S rRNA have been detected once in Streptococcus pneumoniae, and not yet in other Streptococcus spp. This mechanism is very likely uncommon in Gram-positive bacteria because different copies of 23S rRNA operons should be mutated for development of such a resistance pattern. | 2020 | 32031922 |
| 5873 | 13 | 0.9893 | pDB2011, a 7.6 kb multidrug resistance plasmid from Listeria innocua replicating in Gram-positive and Gram-negative hosts. pDB2011, a multidrug resistance plasmid isolated from the foodborne Listeria innocua strain TTS-2011 was sequenced and characterized. Sequence analysis revealed that pDB2011 had a length of 7641 bp and contained seven coding DNA sequences of which two were annotated as replication proteins, one as a recombination/mobilization protein and one as a transposase. Furthermore, pDB2011 harbored the trimethoprim, spectinomycin and macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance genes dfrD, spc and erm(A), respectively. However, pDB2011 was only associated with trimethoprim and spectinomycin resistance phenotypes and not with phenotypic resistance to erythromycin. A region of the plasmid encoding the resistance genes spc and erm(A) plus the transposase was highly similar to Staphylococcus aureus transposon Tn554. The dfrD gene was 100% identical to dfrD found in a number of Listeria monocytogenes isolates. Additionally, assessment of the potential host range of pDB2011 revealed that the plasmid was able to replicate in Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363 as well as in Escherichia coli MC1061 and DH5α. This study reports the first multidrug resistance plasmid in L. innocua. A large potential for dissemination of pDB2011 is indicated by its host range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. | 2013 | 23774482 |
| 6183 | 14 | 0.9893 | Characterization of putative multidrug resistance transporters of the major facilitator-superfamily expressed in Salmonella Typhi. Multidrug resistance mediated by efflux pumps is a well-known phenomenon in infectious bacteria. Although much work has been carried out to characterize multidrug efflux pumps in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, such information is still lacking for many deadly pathogens. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the substrate specificity of previously uncharacterized transporters of Salmonella Typhi to identify their role in the development of multidrug resistance. S. Typhi genes encoding putative members of the major facilitator superfamily were cloned and expressed in the drug-hypersensitive Escherichia coli strain KAM42, and tested for transport of 25 antibacterial compounds, including representative antibiotics of various classes, antiseptics, dyes and detergents. Of the 15 tested putative transporters, STY0901, STY2458 and STY4874 exhibited a drug-resistance phenotype. Among these, STY4874 conferred resistance to at least ten of the tested antimicrobials: ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, levofloxacin, kanamycin, streptomycin, gentamycin, nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol, ethidium bromide, and acriflavine, including fluoroquinolone antibiotics, which were drugs of choice to treat S. Typhi infections. Cell-based functional studies using ethidium bromide and acriflavine showed that STY4874 functions as a H(+)-dependent exporter. These results suggest that STY4874 may be an important drug target, which can now be tested by studying the susceptibility of a STY4874-deficient S. Typhi strain to antimicrobials. | 2015 | 25724589 |
| 5865 | 15 | 0.9892 | Unusual small plasmids carrying the novel resistance genes dfrK or apmA isolated from methicillin-resistant or -susceptible staphylococci. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to identify small staphylococcal plasmids that carry either the trimethoprim resistance gene dfrK or the apramycin resistance gene apmA and analyse them for their structure and organization with regard to their potential role as precursors of large multiresistance plasmids that carry these genes. METHODS: Trimethoprim- or apramycin-resistant staphylococci from the strain collections of the two participating institutions were investigated for the presence of plasmid-borne dfrK or apmA genes. The dfrK- or apmA-carrying plasmids were sequenced completely and compared with sequences deposited in the databases. RESULTS: Two small plasmids, the 4957 bp dfrK-carrying plasmid pKKS966 from porcine Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus and the 4809 bp apmA-carrying plasmid pKKS49 from porcine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were identified. Structural analysis revealed that both plasmids had a similar organization, comprising a single resistance gene (dfrK or apmA), a plasmid replication gene (rep) and three partly overlapping genes for mobilization proteins (mobA, mobB and mobC). Comparisons showed 71%-82% amino acid identity between the Rep and Mob proteins of these two plasmids; however, distinctly lesser percentages of identity to Rep and Mob proteins of staphylococci and other bacteria deposited in the databases were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Both plasmids, pKKS966 and pKKS49, appeared not to be typical staphylococcal plasmids. The homology to larger plasmids that harbour the genes apmA and/or dfrK was limited to these resistance genes and their immediate upstream and downstream regions and thus suggested that these small plasmids were not integrated into larger plasmids. | 2012 | 22718530 |
| 5086 | 16 | 0.9892 | Detection of genetically modified microorganisms in soil using the most-probable-number method with multiplex PCR and DNA dot blot. The principal objective of this study was to detect genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) that might be accidentally released into the environment from laboratories. Two methods [plate counting and most-probable-number (MPN)] coupled with either multiplex PCR or DNA dot blots were compared using genetically modified Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida, and Acinetobacter oleivorans harboring an antibiotic-resistance gene with additional gfp and lacZ genes as markers. Alignments of sequences collected from databases using the Perl scripting language (Perl API) and from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that the gfp, lacZ and antibiotic-resistance genes (kanamycin, tetracycline, and ampicillin) in GMMs differed from the counterpart genes in many sequenced genomes and in soil DNA. Thus, specific multiplex PCR primer sets for detection of plasmid-based gfp and lacZ antibiotic-resistance genes could be generated. In the plate counting method, many antibiotic-resistant bacteria from a soil microcosm grew as colonies on antibiotic-containing agar plates. The multiplex PCR verification of randomly selected antibiotic-resistant colonies with specific primers proved ineffective. The MPN-multiplex PCR method and antibiotic-resistant phenotype could be successfully used to detect GMMs, although this method is quite laborious. The MPN-DNA dot blot method screened more cells at a time in a microtiter plate containing the corresponding antibiotics, and was shown to be a more efficient method for the detection of GMMs in soil using specific probes in terms of labor and accuracy. | 2011 | 21810467 |
| 6182 | 17 | 0.9892 | An RND-type multidrug efflux pump SdeXY from Serratia marcescens. OBJECTIVES: Serratia marcescens, an important cause of nosocomial infections, shows intrinsic resistance to a wide variety of antimicrobial agents (multidrug resistance). Multidrug efflux pumps are often involved in the multidrug resistance in many bacteria. A study was undertaken to characterize the multidrug efflux pumps in S. marcescens. METHODS: The genes responsible for the multidrug resistance phenotype in S. marcescens were cloned into Escherichia coli KAM32, a drug-hypersusceptible strain, for further analysis. RESULTS: We cloned sdeXY genes and determined the nucleotide sequence. Clones that carried the sdeXY genes displayed reduced susceptibility to several antimicrobial agents including erythromycin, tetracycline, norfloxacin, benzalkonium chloride, ethidium bromide, acriflavine and rhodamine 6G. A protein similarity search using GenBank revealed that SdeY is a member of the resistance nodulation cell-division (RND) family of multidrug efflux proteins and SdeX is a member of the membrane fusion proteins. Introduction of sdeXY into E. coli cells possessing tolC, but not in cells lacking tolC, resulted in multidrug resistance. We observed energy-dependent ethidium efflux in cells of E. coli KAM32 possessing sdeXY and tolC. CONCLUSIONS: SdeXY is the first RND-type multidrug efflux pump to be characterized in multidrug-resistant S. marcescens. | 2003 | 12837741 |
| 437 | 18 | 0.9892 | Cloning of genes responsible for acetic acid resistance in Acetobacter aceti. Five acetic acid-sensitive mutants of Acetobacter aceti subsp. aceti no. 1023 were isolated by mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Three recombinant plasmids that complemented the mutations were isolated from a gene bank of the chromosome DNA of the parental strain constructed in Escherichia coli by using cosmid vector pMVC1. One of these plasmids (pAR1611), carrying about a 30-kilobase-pair (kb) fragment that conferred acetic acid resistance to all five mutants, was further analyzed. Subcloning experiments indicated that a 8.3-kb fragment was sufficient to complement all five mutations. To identify the mutation loci and genes involved in acetic acid resistance, insertional inactivation was performed by insertion of the kanamycin resistance gene derived from E. coli plasmid pACYC177 into the cloned 8.3-kb fragment and successive integration into the chromosome of the parental strain. The results suggested that three genes, designated aarA, aarB, and aarC, were responsible for expression of acetic acid resistance. Gene products of these genes were detected by means of overproduction in E. coli by use of the lac promoter. The amino acid sequence of the aarA gene product deduced from the nucleotide sequence was significantly similar to those of the citrate synthases (CSs) of E. coli and other bacteria. The A. aceti mutants defective in the aarA gene were found to lack CS activity, which was restored by introduction of a plasmid containing the aarA gene. A mutation in the CS gene of E. coli was also complemented by the aarA gene. These results indicate that aarA is the CS gene. | 1990 | 2156811 |
| 5776 | 19 | 0.9891 | Detection of pbp2b and ermB genes in clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae. BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen. The emergence of penicillin resistant strains since the 1970s has been life threatening and the evolution of the bacteria have enabled itself to develop resistance to many other antibiotics such as the macrolides and the fluoroquinolones. This study aims to characterize S. pneumoniae isolates for the presence of penicillin and macrolide resistance genes. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and twenty clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae were obtained from patients of University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). The strains were screened using a multiplex real-time PCR method for the presence of alterations in the genes encoding the penicillin binding proteins: pbp2b, macrolide resistance determinant ermB and the pneumolysin gene, ply. Dual-labelled Taqman probes were used in the real-time detection method comprising three different genes labeled with individual fluorophores at different wavelengths. One hundred and twenty isolates from bacterial cultures and isolates directly from blood cultures samples were analyzed using this assay. RESULTS: A multiplex PCR comprising the antibiotic resistance genes, ermB and and pneumolysin gene (ply), a S. pneumoniae species specific gene, was developed to characterize strains of S. pneumoniae. Out of the 120 pneumococcal isolates, 58 strains were categorized as Penicillin Sensitive Streptococcus pneumoniae (PSSP), 36 as Penicillin Intermediate Streptococcus pneumoniae (PISP) and 26 as Penicillin Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP). All the 58 PSSP strains harboured the pbp2b gene while the 36 PISP and 26 PRSP strains did not harbour this gene, thus suggesting reduced susceptibility to penicillin. Resistance to erythromycin was observed in 47 of the pneumococcal strains while 15 and 58 were intermediate and sensitive to this drug respectively. Susceptibility testing to other beta-lactams (CTX and CRO) also showed reduced susceptibility among the strains within the PISP and PRSP groups but most PSSP strains were sensitive to other antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The characterization of pneumococcal isolates for penicillin and erythromycin resistance genes could be useful to predict the susceptibility of these isolates to other antibiotics, especially beta-lactams drugs. We have developed an assay with a shorter turnaround time to determine the species and resistance profile of Streptococcus pneumoniae with respect to penicillin and macrolides using the Real Time PCR format with fluorescent labeled Taqman probes, hence facilitating earlier and more definitive antimicrobial therapy which may lead to better patient management. | 2008 | 19738350 |