Identification of a chromosome-borne class C beta-lactamase from Erwinia rhapontici.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the beta-lactamase gene content of Erwinia rhapontici.


METHODS
The beta-lactamase gene was cloned, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli.


RESULTS
The cloned gene conferred a resistance pattern of an Ambler class C beta-lactamase in E. coli. The AmpC-type enzyme had a pI value of 8.6 and shared 62% amino acid sequence identity with that of Escherichia fergusonii. The ampC gene was associated with a regulatory ampR gene and beta-lactamase production was inducible.


CONCLUSIONS
This work provides further evidence of the molecular heterogeneity of beta-lactamases in Erwinia spp. and that plant-pathogenic enterobacterial species may constitute a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes.
Service de Bactériologie-Virologie, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique/Hôpitaux de Paris, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, 78 rue du Général Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Cedex, France. thierry.naas@bct.ap-hop-paris.fr
Thierry
T
Naas
Daniel
D
Aubert
Sophie
S
Vimont
Patrice
P
Nordmann
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D004885:Erwinia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C048795:AmpC beta-lactamases; D001618:beta-Lactamases