title: Plasmids coding for drug resistance and localized adherence to HeLa cells in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli O55:H- and O55:H6.
abstract: Plasmids coding for drug resistance and localized adherence (LA) to HeLa cells were found in two enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains belonging to serotypes O55:H- and O55:H6. Strain 49-81 HSJ (O55:H-) carries two plasmids, one coding for both ampicillin resistance (Apr) and LA (pMS49). Strain 71-82 HSJ (O55:H6) harbors only one plasmid, coding for resistance to sulfadiazine, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, ampicillin, and LA (pMS71). Plasmids pMS49 and pMS71 were transferred to E. coli K-12 711 and from this strain to E. coli K-12 J53. Curing with acridine orange of an Apr LA+ transconjugant showed that both characteristics were lost simultaneously. The plasmids have a molecular weight of approximately 55 X 10(6) and are the first naturally recombinant plasmids coding for adherence and drug resistance described in enteropathogenic E. coli.
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D011815:R Factors