title: Genetic diversity of penicillin-binding protein 2 genes of penicillin-resistant strains of Neisseria meningitidis revealed by fingerprinting of amplified DNA.
abstract: A 2-kilobase fragment containing the penicillin-binding protein 2 gene (penA) was amplified by using the polymerase chain reaction with DNA prepared from 35 penicillin-resistant strains of Neisseria meningitidis isolated in England, Ireland, and Spain (MICs, 0.16 to 1.28 micrograms of benzylpenicillin per ml) and from 10 penicillin-susceptible strains (MICs, less than or equal to 0.04 micrograms of benzylpenicillin per ml). The penA genes were digested with HpaII or TaqYI; and the resulting fragments were end-labeled, fractionated on a polyacrylamide gel, and autoradiographed, to produce gene fingerprints. The fingerprints of the penA genes of the 10 penicillin-susceptible strains were identical. In contrast, the fingerprints of the penA genes of all but two of the penicillin-resistant strains differed markedly from those of the penicillin-susceptible strains. The altered penA genes of group B penicillin-resistant strains were very diverse, and 14 different fingerprints were found among the 15 strains that we examined. The penA genes of the 19 resistant group C strains were less diverse, and two major fingerprint patterns predominated.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Q Y
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sáez Nieto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez Trallero
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Spratt
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005784:Gene Amplification; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics*; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D009710:Nucleotide Mapping; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases / 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