Open AccessStructural relationships among chloramphenicol‐resistance plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus
Author(s) -
Gillespie M.T.,
Skurray R.A.
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.tb02998.x
Subject(s) - plasmid , biology , chloramphenicol acetyltransferase , genetics , heteroduplex , restriction enzyme , gene , chloramphenicol , microbiology and biotechnology , restriction map , staphylococcus aureus , bacteria , promoter , gene expression
Twelve different chloramphenicol‐resistance (Cm r ) plasmids detected in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated between 1952 and 1981 were characterized by restriction endonuclease, DNA hybridization and heteroduplex analyses. These studies revealed three families of Cm r plasmids which were distinguished by their chloramphenicol acetyltransferase sequences; the prototype plasmids of the families were pC221, pC223 and pC194. The cat and replication ( rep ) genes of the plasmid pC221 were highly conserved in other pC221 family members and were related to their homologs in the pC223 family plasmids; however, the cat and rep genes of the pC194 family plasmids were distinct.