title: Transferable plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance in Listeria monocytogenes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Agents Antibactériens, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poyart-Salmeron
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trieu-Cuot
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Courtieu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courvalin
mesh_terms: D002702:Chloramphenicol Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000235:genetics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012093:Replicon / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000235:genetics; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial