Epidemiology and molecular basis of penicillin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis in Spain: a 5-year history (1985-1989).
Penicillin-resistant (penr) clinical isolates of Neisseria meningitidis, which do not produce beta-lactamase, were first identified in Spain in 1985; the frequency of their recovery, which has been increasing in the past few years, reached 20% in 1989. Serogrouping, determination of serotypes and subtypes, and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis of the penr strains showed an extensive diversity. Resistance is due, at least in part, to a decreased affinity of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2 for penicillin. Similar low-affinity forms of PBP 2 are also found in penr isolates of Neisseria lactamica, Neisseria polysaccharea, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Genetic transformation of an N. meningitidis type strain to low-level penicillin resistance with DNA from resistant meningococci and other Neisseria species resulted in transformants that possessed low-affinity forms of PBP 2. These altered forms of PBP 2 have been shown to arise from recombinational events that replace parts of the PBP 2 gene with the corresponding regions from the PBP 2 genes of commensal Neisseria species.
Sáez-Nieto
J A
JA
Laboratorio de Referencia de Meningococos, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Madrid, Spain.
Lujan
R
R
Berrón
S
S
Campos
J
J
Viñas
M
M
Fusté
C
C
Vazquez
J A
JA
Zhang
Q Y
QY
Bowler
L D
LD
Martinez-Suarez
J V
JV
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D010403:Penicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase; D001618:beta-Lactamases