Emergence of a pneumococcal clone with cephalosporin resistance and penicillin susceptibility

A M Smith; R F Botha; H J Koornhof; K P Klugman

doi:10.1128/AAC.45.9.2648-2650.2001

Emergence of a pneumococcal clone with cephalosporin resistance and penicillin susceptibility

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2001 Sep;45(9):2648-50. doi: 10.1128/AAC.45.9.2648-2650.2001.

Authors

A M Smith¹, R F Botha, H J Koornhof, K P Klugman

Affiliation

¹ MRC/SAIMR/WITS Pneumococcal Diseases Research Unit, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg, South Africa. anthonys@mail.saimr.wits.ac.za

Abstract

We report two South African serotype 6B pneumococcal isolates with cephalosporin resistance, yet with susceptibility to penicillin. DNA fingerprinting revealed that they were clonal in origin. pbp 2X and 1A genes showed major alterations typical of cephalosporin-resistant pneumococci. The pbp 2B gene was completely unaltered, explaining the penicillin susceptibility of the isolates.

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Bacterial Proteins*
Carrier Proteins / genetics*
Cephalosporin Resistance / genetics*
Hexosyltransferases / genetics*
Humans
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Molecular Sequence Data
Multienzyme Complexes / genetics*
Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase*
Penicillin-Binding Proteins
Penicillins / pharmacology*
Peptidyl Transferases / genetics*
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
South Africa
Streptococcus pneumoniae / drug effects
Streptococcus pneumoniae / genetics*

Substances

Bacterial Proteins
Carrier Proteins
Multienzyme Complexes
Penicillin-Binding Proteins
Penicillins
PBP 2x protein, Streptococcus
Peptidyl Transferases
Hexosyltransferases
Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase

Associated data

GENBANK/AF387162
GENBANK/AF387163