title: Rarity of transferable beta-lactamase production by Klebsiella species.
abstract: We report a survey of beta-lactamases and their transferability in Klebsiella spp. isolated from blood during 1992-95. beta-Lactamases were characterized by determination of isoelectric point (pI), by hybridization of plasmid DNA preparations with probes for SHV and TEM sequences and by PCR with SHV- or TEM-specific primers. There were 80 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 22 isolates of Klebsiella oxytoca. Most isolates of K. pneumoniae had a chromosomally encoded SHV-1 beta-lactamase (or a closely related enzyme); K. oxytoca also produced chromosomal beta-lactamases, but these were distinct from SHV-1. Plasmid-encoded beta-lactamases were rare in Klebsiella spp., being found in six (7.5%) isolates of K. pneumoniae and in none of the K. oxytoca. beta-Lactamase activities were relatively low (< 100 nmoles nitrocefin hydrolysed per minute per mg of protein) and ampicillin MICs were < or = 128 mg/L for most isolates of both species. However, all isolates of K. pneumoniae with plasmid-encoded beta-lactamases, three other isolates of K. pneumoniae and three isolates of K. oxytoca had high beta-lactamase activities (> 100 nmoles/mg/min) and very high ampicillin MICs (> or = 1024 mg/L).
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, UMDS, St Thomas's Campus, London, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: French
mesh_terms: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017931:DNA Primers; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D010406:Penicillins; D000667:Ampicillin; D001618:beta-Lactamases