Detection of tellurite-resistance determinants in IncP plasmids

Six IncP plasmids were tested for their ability to generate tellurite-resistant variants by plating bacterial strains harbouring them on medium containing potassium tellurite. Four plasmids, three of subgroup IncP alpha and one not allocated, formed variants that could transfer tellurite-resistance at the same frequency as plasmid-determined drug resistance. This property was not shared by two examples of subgroup IncP beta.