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Identification of Escherichia coli clinical isolates producing macrolide 2'-phosphotransferase by a highly sensitive

K Taniguchi1, A Nakamura, K Tsurubuchi

  • 1Division of Microbial Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|November 11, 1998
PubMed

Insights

A new ELDR method enhances detection of macrolide 2'-phosphotransferase (MPH(2')) activity in Escherichia coli. This sensitive assay identified new MPH(2')-producing strains, indicating wider spread in clinical settings.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Enzymology

Background:

  • Macrolide antibiotics are inactivated by macrolide 2 '-phosphotransferase (MPH(2 ')) produced by Escherichia coli.
  • Detection of MPH(2 ') activity is crucial for understanding antibiotic resistance.
  • Existing methods using crude extracts are less convenient than intact cell-based assays.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a sensitive and convenient method for detecting MPH(2 ') activity using intact Escherichia coli cells.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of the modified lysozyme-DNase-RNase (ELDR) method for enzyme detection.
  • To investigate the prevalence of MPH(2 ')-producing E. coli in Japanese clinical settings.

Main Methods:

  • Development of the enhanced lysozyme-DNase-RNase (ELDR) method, a modification of the LDR assay.
  • Testing the sensitivity of the ELDR method for MPH(2 ') activity detection compared to the LDR method.
  • Screening clinically isolated E. coli strains from Japan for MPH(2 ') production using the ELDR method.

Main Results:

  • The ELDR method demonstrated at least 100-fold higher sensitivity for MPH(2 ') detection than the LDR method.
  • The ELDR method also proved highly sensitive for detecting aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes.
  • Three novel MPH(2 ')-producing E. coli strains were identified among clinical isolates from Japan in 1997.

Conclusions:

  • The ELDR method provides a sensitive and convenient approach for detecting MPH(2 ') activity in intact E. coli cells.
  • The identification of new MPH(2 ')-producing strains suggests a significant spread of these resistant bacteria in Japanese clinical environments.
  • This method facilitates the surveillance and understanding of macrolide and aminoglycoside resistance mechanisms in E. coli.

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