Drug Resistance of Staphylococci I. Transduction of Tetracycline Resistance with Phage Lysates Obtained from Multiply Resistant Staphylococci

Abstract

, Japan), HIROSHI OSHIMA, UMEKO KAWAHARADA, AND HAJIME HASHIMOTO. Drug resistance of staphylococci. I. Transduction of tetracycline resistance with phage lysates obtained from multiply resistant staphylococci. J. Bacteriol. 89:967-976. 1965.-Tetracycline resistance was found to be transduced with phage lysates obtained from multiply resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus of human origin. With various combinations of multiply resistant donors and tetracycline (TC)-sensitive recipients, almost all of the strains were found to be competent donors. A greater percentage of group 1 staphylococci were competent recipients. Most of the TC+ transductants were not lysogenic for the transducing phage and were unable to transduce TC resistance with their own phage lysates obtained by ultraviolet irradiation. However, the TC+ transductants, lysogenized with transducing phage, were capable of transducing TC resistance, and some of the lysogenizations were accompanied by changes in phage type. These results suggest that the emergence of the multiply resistant staphylococci (consistently resistant to TC) can be accounted for by transduction among various strains accompanied sometimes by changes in phage typing pattern after lysogenization, and by selection through extensive use of antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents.

Transduction Analysis of the Genetic Determinants for Chloramphenicol Resistance in Staphylococci

“…When singly selected for TC resistance, the determinant responsible for CM-resistance was also jointly transduced with TC-resistance and the frequency of joint transduction of resistance to both drugs was 3 to 4%. As reported in a previous paper [8,14], it was found that about 1 to 4% of the transductants jointly acquired resistance to both TC and SM, even when singly selected for either TC-or SM-resistance. However, we could not obtain transductants which jointly acquired resistance to three drugs, CM, TC, and SM.…”

“…PC) or a (PC) plasmid. By contrast, it was demonstrated that the loci governing resistance to TC, SA and SM exist closely on a single genetic element according to the results of the joint transduction of (TC.SM) [14] and (TC.SA.SM)resistance [8], which strongly suggests that this is probably on the cell's own chromosome.…”

“…Phage type. Phage typing was carried out according to the method described by 1VIitsuhashi et al [14].…”

Lability of Streptomycin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

“…This laboratory spread each strain on an HI agar plate and picked one colony for stock culture after single colony isolation. Drug-resistance and biological properties of each strain were examined by the method described previously [12].…”

“…The master plate was replicaplated on HI agar containing 12.5 ,g/m1 of either SM, tetracycline (TC) or penicillin G (PC). Drug-resistance of the colonies from which drug-resistance was found to be lost by this method, was determined by the agar dilution method described previously [12]. Loss of drug-resistance at elevated temperatures.…”