Dissemination of streptomycin and sulfonamide resistance by plasmid pBP1 in Escherichia coli.
About one third of streptomycin resistance in Escherichia coli is mediated by APH-(3''). This enzyme is encoded by the plasmid pBP1 in 80% of all streptomycin resistant strains tested. pBP1, which in addition mediates sulfonamide resistance, has been found to be disseminated in Escherichia coli strains all over the world. It has a molecular weight of 4.0 megadalton and does not seem to be disadvantageous for the metabolism of the bacterial cell. The reason for the slow decrease of resistance to streptomycin and sulfonamide in clinical isolates, despite the restricted use of these drugs, is presumably the survival of bacteria harbouring pBP1 which have been selected by streptomycin and sulfonamides in the early days of chemotherapy.
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; D011815:R Factors; D000198:Spectinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000198:Spectinomycin; D013307:Streptomycin