DNA in antibiotic preparations: absence of intact resistance genes.
Fragments of erm(E2), otrA, and aph(6) shorter than 400 bp and producer strain-specific rRNA genes were amplified from various antibiotics. The amount of genetic material and the sizes of amplicons recovered from murine feces after oral administration of a beta-lactamase-encoding plasmid indicated substantial DNA degradation in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. These observations imply that antibiotics are no major source for horizontal resistance gene transfer in clinical settings.
Woegerbauer
Markus
M
Department of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Vienna and Birkmayer Laboratories, Department of Research and Development, Schwarzspanierstrasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. m.woegerbauer@birkmayer.com
Lagler
Heimo
H
Graninger
Wolfgang
W
Burgmann
Heinz
H
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004340:Drug Contamination; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal