Penicillin-binding proteins of multiply antibiotic-resistant South African strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Multiply drug-resistant South African pneumococci (with penicillin minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 12.5 microgram/ml) showed several types of major alterations in their penicillin-binding protein (PBP) pattern compared with that of a penicillin-susceptible laboratory strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae (R6; penicillin minimal inhibitory concentration = 0.006 microgram/ml). Genetic transformants were obtained by using South African pneumococcus (strain 8249) deoxyribonucleic acid as donor and the competent cells of strain R6 as recipient; seven classes of transformants with progressively higher penicillin resistance were isolated, and their PBPs were tested. The PBP patterns exhibited a gradual shift from a pattern similar to that of the recipient to a pattern resembling that of the donor strain as the level of penicillin resistance increased.
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000378:metabolism*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013019:South Africa; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D010400:Penicillin G