The beta-lactamases and beta-lactam antibiotic susceptibility of Yersinia enterocolitica.
One hundred and forty-five isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica of different serotypes and biotypes, including atypical biotypes, collected from various parts of the world, were examined for their susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics and expression of intracellular beta-lactamases. The reasons for the specificity of patterns of susceptibility to beta-lactams for each biotype or subtype of Y. enterocolitica were elucidated by examining their ss-lactamase activity. Whilst the biotypes and subtypes were uniformly susceptible to the newer beta-lactam antibiotics, the susceptibility pattern observed with other beta-lactams was specific to each biotype or subtype, because of the characteristics of beta-lactamase expression by strains within these groups. The susceptibility to these beta-lactam agents depended entirely on the extent of elaboration or the absence of one of the two beta-lactamases, enzyme A and enzyme B, found in the species. Detection of enzyme B by a disc diffusion test yielded inconsistent results, but detection of enzyme A by disc diffusion was highly reliable. This test clearly distinguished strains of biotype 2, serotype O:5,27 from those of biotype 2, serotype O:9 and biotype 3, serotypes O:1, 2a-3, O:3 and O:5.
Pham
J N
JN
Department of Microbiology, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia.
Bell
S M
SM
Martin
L
L
Carniel
E
E
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D004058:Diffusion; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012703:Serotyping; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000378:metabolism*; D047090:beta-Lactams
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047090:beta-Lactams; D001618:beta-Lactamases