title: Plasmid analyses in clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis and other Bacteroides species.
abstract: Plasmid analyses were performed on Bacteroides strains isolated from clinical specimens. Of 32 Bacteroides strains, 8 were found to contain plasmids. Seven of these eight strains were B. fragilis, and the other one was B. distasonis. Three of these eight strains harbored only a 3.0-megadalton plasmid. Two strains had only a 2.0-megadalton plasmid, and one had 2.0-, 3.0-megadalton plasmid. Of the remaining two strains, one had 2.0-, 3.0-, and 5.0-megadalton plasmids, and the other had 3.0- and 5.0-megadalton plasmids. Beta-Lactamase was produced by 93% of the clinical isolates. Seven of the eight plasmid-carrying strains were cadmium resistant, five were zinc resistant, four were mercury resistant, and two expressed a brick-red fluorescence under ultraviolet light. None of these traits could be associated with a plasmid after performing either curing experiments or genetic transfer experiments by cell-to-cell contact.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008670:Metals / Q000494:pharmacology; D010957:Plasmids; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008670:Metals; D001618:beta-Lactamases