Open AccessAssociation of qacE and qacE Δ1 with multiple resistance to antibiotics and antiseptics in clinical isolates of Gram‐negative bacteria
Author(s) -
Kücken Detmar,
Feucht HeinzHubert,
Kaulfers PaulMichael
Publication year - 2000
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.1574-6968.2000.tb08939.x
Subject(s) - enterobacter cloacae , microbiology and biotechnology , benzalkonium chloride , antibiotics , citrobacter freundii , bacteria , biology , chemistry , escherichia coli , biochemistry , gene , enterobacteriaceae , organic chemistry , genetics
Clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae , Citrobacter freundii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were tested for resistance to antibiotics and to the antiseptics benzalkonium chloride and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Furthermore, they were examined for the presence of the resistance genes qacE and qacE Δ1. qacE Δ1 was detected by PCR in 10% of all ( n =103 ) and in 81% of multiply antibiotic‐resistant strains ( n =15 ). qacE was found in only one of 37 P. aeruginosa strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of benzalkonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and ethidium bromide were not significantly different for qacE Δ1/ qacE ‐positive or ‐negative strains. Our data indicate that multiply antibiotic‐resistant Gram‐negative bacteria are not necessarily more resistant to quaternary ammonium compounds than antibiotic‐sensitive strains even though qacE or qacE Δ1 is present.