Abstract
We have characterized a natural isolate of Staphylococcus epidermidis resistant to heavy metals that carries a small 2391-bp plasmid, pSepCH, encoding the qacC gene. The S. epidermidis qacC gene confers resistance to a number of beta-lactam antibiotics and to ethidium bromide in its natural host and in Escherichia coli K12 and Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium. This is the first communication of a small multidrug resistance (SMR) pump involved in resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Experiments using tolC, ompW and ompD mutant strains of S. Typhimurium demonstrated that the beta-lactam antibiotic resistance conferred by this pump does not depend on these outer membrane proteins.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
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Antiporters / genetics*
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Antiporters / metabolism
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Escherichia coli / drug effects
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Escherichia coli / growth & development
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Escherichia coli Proteins
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Ethidium / pharmacology
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Membrane Proteins / genetics*
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Membrane Proteins / metabolism
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Microbial Sensitivity Tests
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Plasmids
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Salmonella typhimurium / drug effects
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Salmonella typhimurium / growth & development
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Staphylococcus epidermidis / drug effects
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Staphylococcus epidermidis / genetics*
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Staphylococcus epidermidis / growth & development
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beta-Lactam Resistance / genetics
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beta-Lactams / pharmacology*
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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Antiporters
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Escherichia coli Proteins
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Membrane Proteins
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beta-Lactams
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EmrE protein, E coli
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Ethidium