Plasmid-determined bleomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

A 1580-bp fragment of Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pUB110 encoding resistance to the DNA synthesis inhibitor bleomycin has been cloned and sequenced. A DNA sequence containing an open reading frame of 405 bp was subcloned into several expression vectors and bleomycin resistance was expressed at high level in Escherichia coli under the control of lambda PL promoter. On induction, a ca. 14,000-Da protein was detected by gel electrophoresis. The bleomycin resistance determinant of the gram-positive plasmid pUB110 was compared to that of the enterobacterial transposon Tn5; limited regions of close relatedness could be identified.