Miniplasmid Derived from Listeria monocytogenes Multiresistance Plasmid pWDB100 upon Conjugal Transfer into Staphylococcus epidermidis Carries Chloramphenicol Resistance Gene Identical with Staphylococcal Gene

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Summary

Multiresistance in Listeria monocytogenes has been found only in three isolates in France and Switzerland and is caused by a large conjugative plasmid. The Swiss isolate LM2, carries plasmid pWDB100 which is transferable to several species including Staphylococcus epidermidis. In many S. epidermidis (pWDB100) transconjugants a second plasmid of 2.6 kb in length was discovered. It was shown to be an excision derivative of pWDB100, designated pWDB100/m. The large plasmid could be eliminated, and a derivative resistant to only chloramphenicol (Cm) and harboring only pWDB100/m was obtained. The sequence of pWDB100/m showed 2679 bp. Two open reading frames coding for putative proteins of 307 and 215 amino acids were detected. By sequence comparison these proteins turned out to be a Rep (replication initiation protein) and a Cat (chloramphenicol-acetyltransferase), respectively. The Cat showed 37.1 to 100% amino acid-identity to Cats from other organisms. The closest relationship was with the pC223- family of small rolling circle replication plasmids mediating Cm-resistance in staphylococci. Sequences surrounding the cat gene in pWDB100/m were organized in short segments with various degrees of homology to other plasmids that contained either Cm- or other resistance-determinants.

Adjacent to three such homology-discontinuities there were short and thymine-rich segments that were similar to each other and contained several G(A)(A)TTT-motifs.

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    Herbert Hächler, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, P.O. Box, CH-8028 Zürich, Switzerland, Tel: +411257-2700. Fax: +411252-8107

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