title: Epidemiology and molecular basis of penicillin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis in Spain: a 5-year history (1985-1989).
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Referencia de Meningococos, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sáez-Nieto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lujan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berrón
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viñas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fusté
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Q Y
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Bowler
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Martinez-Suarez
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase; D001618:beta-Lactamases