Open AccessCharacterization of staphylococcal plasmids hybridizing with the fosfomycin resistance gene fosB
Author(s) -
Etienne Jerome,
Gerbaud Guy,
Fleurette Jean,
Courvalin Patrice
Publication year - 1991
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.1574-6968.1991.tb04580.x
Subject(s) - fosfomycin , plasmid , biology , fosb , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , southern blot , staphylococcus epidermidis , genetics , staphylococcus aureus , bacteria , gene expression , antibiotics
The distribution of the fosB gene, coding for fosfomycin resistance, in 105 fosfomycin‐resistant isolates of Staphylococcus from various geographical areas, was studied by Southern blot hybridization. Nucleotide sequences related to fosB were detected in 36 strains belonging to five species. Plasmids bearing fosB were often of a size similar to that of pIP1842 (2.54 kb) in S. epidermidis , most often small (2.4 to 4.1 kb) in other species including S. aureus where a 2.7‐kb plasmid was found in 16 out of the 18 strains studied. The fosB gene was geographically dispersed since it was present in six different locations in France and also in Japan. The weak hybridization observed with plasmid DNA of certain strains of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus , and S. warneri may indicate gene heterogeneity for fosfomycin resistance in Staphylococcus spp.