Open AccessPlasmid curing in Staphylococcus aureus by antibiotics affecting the bacterial cell wall
Author(s) -
AbdallaGalal S.,
Ramuz M.,
SchmittSlomska J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1988.tb02759.x
Subject(s) - plasmid , lysostaphin , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , protoplast , cell envelope , staphylococcus aureus , biology , curing (chemistry) , dna , chemistry , escherichia coli , genetics , gene , polymer chemistry
Strains of Staphylococcus aureus were converted into L‐forms with β‐lactam antibiotics, vancomycin and lysostaphin. Reverted bacteria obtained after several transfers in protoplast forms (unstable L‐forms) as well as stable L‐forms lost their plasmids. Curing was obtained whatever the plasmid size (from 3.4 to 28.2 kb) but complete curing required cell division. Elimination of plasmids in wall‐less organisms could be the result of an inhibition of new rounds of plasmid replication following the loss of DNA‐envelope interactions.