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Determination of Mycoplasma bovis susceptibilities against six antimicrobial agents using the E test method.

The objective of this study was to determine the susceptibility of Mycoplasma bovis against six antibiotics using the E test methodology. Fifty-eight isolates of M. bovis originating from 55 affected cattle were evaluated. Specimen originated from: lung tissue, synovial fluid, tracheo-bronchial wash, milk, and external or inner ear discharge. Antimicrobial agents tested were azythromycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, enrofloxacin, spectinomycin and tetracycline. The E test strips were placed on the surface of Hayflick plates on which organism suspension was spread. Plates were incubated at 35 degrees C in a candle jar for 72 h. MICs were then read by determining where the growth inhibition zone intersected with the MIC scale on the strip. M. bovis Donetta isolate was used as a control. All MICs were >256 microg/ml for erythromycin. MIC50 and MIC90 obtained for azythromycin were 3 and >256 microg/ml, respectively. MIC50 and MIC90 obtained for tetracycline were 4 and 8 microg/ml, respectively. MIC50 and MIC90 obtained for spectinomycin were 2 and >1021 microg/ml, respectively. MIC50 and MIC90 obtained for clindamycin were 0.19 and >256 microg/ml, respectively. MIC50 and MIC90 obtained for enrofloxacin were 0.19 and 0.25 microg/ml, respectively. Resistance was not associated with the specimen source except for azythromycin. M. bovis susceptibilities were easily determined by the E test which demonstrated the efficacy of enrofloxacin and the acquired resistance to tetracycline, spectinomycin, azythromycin and clindamycin.

Animals↗

Stable transformation of plastids in higher plants.

Stable genetic transformation of the plastid genome is reported in a higher plant, Nicotiana tabacum. Plastid transformation was obtained after bombardment of leaves with tungsten particles coated with pZS148 plasmid DNA. Plasmid pZS148 (9.6 kilobases) contains a 3.7-kilobase plastid DNA fragment encoding the 16S rRNA. In the 16S rRNA-encoding DNA (rDNA) a spectinomycin resistance mutation is flanked on the 5' side by a streptomycin resistance mutation and on the 3' side by a Pst I site generated by ligating an oligonucleotide in the intergenic region. Transgenic lines were selected by spectinomycin resistance and distinguished from spontaneous mutants by the flanking, cotransformed streptomycin resistance and Pst I markers. Regenerated plants are homoplasmic for the spectinomycin resistance and the Pst I markers and heteroplasmic for the unselected streptomycin resistance trait. Transgenic plastid traits are transmitted to the seed progeny. The transgenic plastid genomes are products of a multistep process, involving DNA recombination, copy correction, and sorting out of plastid DNA copies.

Journal Article↗

Antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular determinants of quinolone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Shanghai.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from Shanghai and to type the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) of ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates. METHODS: N. gonorrhoeae isolates (n = 159) were consecutively collected from male patients in Shanghai and examined for their antimicrobial susceptibilities to penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin and ceftriaxone. The mutation profiles of the QRDRs of gyrA and parC were determined for 103 isolates including one susceptible isolate and one isolate with intermediate levels of susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. RESULTS: High percentages of the 159 isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (98.7%), penicillin (93.1%) and tetracycline (56.5%). Penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG, 37.8%) or penicillinase-producing/tetracycline-resistant N. gonorrhoeae (PP/TRNG, 13.8%) accounted for 51.6% of the isolates. Chromosomal resistance to penicillin was observed in 41.5% of the isolates. Tetracycline resistance was noted in 56.5% of the isolates with 20.1% carrying plasmid-mediated resistance and 36.4% being chromosomally resistant. All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone and spectinomycin, although a trend to decreased susceptibility was noted. QRDR mutations were observed in the 101 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates and the one ciprofloxacin-intermediate isolate, in contrast to the ciprofloxacin-susceptible isolate tested. Mutations in the QRDRs comprised four predominant (65.0% of the 103 isolates) patterns of a total of 19 patterns. Mutations in parC were significantly associated with higher MICs of ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: Spectinomycin and ceftriaxone are currently recommended for the treatment of gonorrhoea in Shanghai. Although the present study indicates that these antimicrobials should remain effective, the identification of isolates with decreased susceptibility underscores the importance of ongoing antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance to monitor and respond to the emergence of resistant isolates.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

Resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae epidemic strains to antibiotics: report of resistant isolates and surveillance in Zhanjiang, China: 1998 to 1999.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are widely used to treat gonorrhea. Changes in the susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to these agents may influence their use. GOAL: To measure the antibiotic susceptibility of N gonorrhoeae epidemic strains in Zhanjiang (Guangdong) and to evaluate the prevalence of strains with reduced susceptibility. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 98 gonococcal isolates obtained from 1998 through 1999 in Zhanjiang were tested for antibiotic susceptibility based on the systemic identification. The inhibitory zone diameters (mm) and the MICs of penicillin, tetracycline, spectinomycin, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin were determined using disk-diffusion and agar-dilution methods, respectively. The susceptibilities of these isolates were defined using criteria of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. RESULTS: The percentages of gonococci-resistant strains to penicillin, tetracycline, spectinomycin, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin were 32.65%, 69.39%, 8.16%, 13.27%, 82.65% by disk-diffusion method and 23.91%, 49.46 %, 11.11%, 16.48%, 59.34% by agar-dilution method, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The resistant strains of contemporary gonococci in Zhanjiang were serious, especially for ciprofloxacin resistance. Continued active surveillance is needed to detect and control the spread of ceftriaxone-resistant and spectinomycin-resistant N gonorrhoeae.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Reduced susceptibility to azithromycin and high percentages of penicillin and tetracycline resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Manaus, Brazil, 1998.

BACKGROUND: The identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates resistant to antimicrobial agents currently recommended for the treatment of gonococcal infections continues to escalate globally. Thus, in some areas, resistance to fluoroquinolone drugs is commonplace; several reports document resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, and the sporadic isolation of spectinomycin-resistant isolates continues unabated. Gonococcal resistance to azithromycin, an antibiotic used for the primary treatment of gonococcal infections in some Latin American countries, also has been described. Because the prevalence of resistant isolates is insufficiently documented in many areas of Latin America, the efficacy of locally recommended therapies for gonococcal infections is often unknown. GOAL: To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility and strain types of N gonorrhoeae isolates collected in Manaus, Brazil. These data will establish antimicrobial susceptibility baseline data for the region as a reference point for future surveillance. STUDY DESIGN: Consecutive N gonorrhoeae isolates from urethral and endocervical specimens were collected and examined for identity, antimicrobial susceptibility, and strain type (plasmid content, tetM type, auxotype, and serovar). RESULTS: Most of the isolates (65/81; 85.2%) were resistant to tetracycline, penicillin, or both, with the majority (n = 62) carrying plasmid-mediated resistance to tetracycline (tetracycline-resistant N gonorrhoeae [TRNG]). All of the TRNG contained the Dutch-type tetM plasmid, and 18 were A/S class NR/IA-02. Penicillinase-producing N gonorrhoeae comprised 8.2% (7/81) of the isolates. Of these seven isolates, four also were TRNG, and two carried chromosomal resistance to tetracycline. The isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, and ceftriaxone. However, 23 isolates were characterized by reduced susceptibility to azithromycin (MIC, 0.25-0.5 microg/ml), and one isolate had reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (MIC, 0.25 microg/ml). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the continued use of third-generation cephalosporins, spectinomycin, and fluoroquinolone drugs for the primary treatment of gonococcal infections in Manaus. The occurrence of isolates with reduced susceptibility to azithromycin and ciprofloxacin underscores the importance of ongoing antimicrobial susceptibility monitoring to support decisions regarding appropriate drugs for the treatment of gonococcal infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Cuba (1995-1999): implications for treatment of gonorrhea.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, especially those resistant to penicillin and tetracycline, have spread with remarkable rapidity in many Caribbean countries. GOAL: The goal of the study was to survey the antibiotic susceptibilities of N gonorrhoeae strains isolated from 1995 to 1999 in Cuba and to discuss the impact of antimicrobial resistance on the management of gonorrhea in the country. STUDY DESIGN: Susceptibility of the strains to penicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, and azithromycin were determined by an agar dilution method. RESULTS: Penicillin and tetracycline resistance was noted in 60.8% and 54.2%, respectively, of the N gonorrhoeae strains tested. A total of 63.35 (76/120) of the N gonorrhoeae strains exhibited plasmid-mediated resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, or both. Strains with chromosomally mediated resistance to these antibiotics accounted for 10% (12/120) of the strains. The strains were susceptible to ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, spectinomycin, and ciprofloxacin. One strain's ciprofloxacin MIC was 0.125 mircog/ml. Of the 52 strains tested, 23.1% displayed intermediate resistance to azithromycin. CONCLUSIONS: N gonorrhoeae strains exhibited a high frequency of resistance and multiresistance to penicillin and tetracycline. Therefore, these antibiotics should no longer be used to treat gonococcal infections in Cuba and should be substituted with effective drugs such as third-generation cephalosporins, spectinomycin, and fluoroquinolones. The detection of intermediate resistance to azithromycin and ciprofloxacin underlines the importance of periodic surveillance for susceptibility of N gonorrhoeae strains to antimicrobials agents used as primary therapy for gonorrhea.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains isolated in Java, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Despite the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance in gonococci all over Southeast Asia, there is only limited surveillance for antibiotic susceptibility in Indonesia. GOAL: This study was undertaken to determine the frequency and diversity of antimicrobial resistance in gonococcal isolates from cohorts of female commercial sex workers in Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia, and to characterize the Tet M plasmid among the tetracycline-resistant strains N gonorrhoeae. STUDY DESIGN: The antimicrobial susceptibility of 267 strains (85 strains from Bandung and 182 from Jakarta) to penicillin, spectinomycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, thiamphenicol, kanamycin, azithromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) was determined by agar dilution. Typing of the Tet M plasmid in tetracycline-resistant isolates was performed by PCR. RESULTS: Prevalence of penicillin and tetracycline resistance was extremely high: 60.0% of the isolates from Bandung and 70.9% of the isolates from Jakarta were resistant to penicillin. Of these, 60.0% and 62.1%, respectively, were penicillinase-producing N gonorrhoeae (PPNG). All the isolates from Bandung and 98.4% from Jakarta were resistant to tetracycline. All tetracycline-resistant isolates from Bandung and 97.8% from Jakarta carried a PCR fragment characteristic of the "Dutch" type Tet M plasmid. One isolate from Jakarta showed chromosomal resistance to tetracycline (0.6%). Chromosomal resistance to thiamphenicol (MIC, >/=2.0 microg/ml) was significantly higher in Jakarta than in Bandung (P < 0.05). All gonococcal isolates were susceptible to kanamycin, spectinomycin, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin. CONCLUSION: Spectinomycin, fluoroquinolones, and azithromycin are still useful primary drugs for treatment of gonococcal infections in Indonesia. Continued surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility should be part of gonorrhea control in Indonesia.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Augmenting effect of antibiotics on endotoxin activity may cause a safety problem.

Enhancing/interfering effect of antibiotics on endotoxin was evaluated using the endotoxin test and the cell line assay in 28SC cells that has a responsiveness consistent with that of human peripheral blood. When a total of 21 products of seven different kinds of antibiotics were tested, none showed any significant effect on the endotoxin test at its therapeutic dose. However, aminoglycosides showed a significant augmenting effect on IL-6 induction of endotoxin in 28SC cells. Detailed examination of the augmenting effect was made on spectinomycin in the in vitro cell line assay and also in the lethal endotoxin challenge assay in D -galactosamine-treated mice. Spectinomycin also enhanced the endotoxin lethality in D -galactosamine-treated mice. A kinetic analysis in endotoxin-sensitized 28SC cells revealed that the augmentation takes place as quickly as 10 min after spectinomycin treatment. Accordingly, a special caution concerning the augmenting effect was assumed necessary for the safety control of antibiotic products as well as for selecting antibiotics for the therapeutic use.

Animals↗

Deletion analysis of the essentiality of penicillin-binding proteins 1A, 2B and 2X of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

An internal fragment from each of the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 1A, 2B and 2X genes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, which included the region encoding the active-site serine residue, was replaced by a fragment encoding spectinomycin resistance. The resulting constructs were tested for their ability to transform S. pneumoniae strain R6 to spectinomycin resistance. Spectinomycin-resistant transformants could not be obtained using either the inactivated PBP 2X or 2B genes, suggesting that deletion of either of these genes was a lethal event, but they were readily obtained using the inactivated PBP 1A gene. Analysis using the polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the latter transformants had replaced their chromosomal copy of the PBP 1A gene with the inactivated copy of the gene. Deletion of the PBP 1A gene was therefore tolerated under laboratory conditions and appeared to have little effect on growth or susceptibility to benzylpenicillin.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Effect of enzymatic adenylylation on dihydrostreptomycin accumulation in Escherichia coli carrying an R-factor: model explaining aminoglycoside resistance by inactivating mechanisms.

Strains of Escherichia coli carrying R-factor R71(a), which codes for a streptomycin-spectinomycin adenylyltransferase, have elevated levels of resistance to dihydrostreptomycin (DHS) compared with isogenic R(-) bacteria. DHS accumulated by whole cells and spheroplasts of R(+) bacteria is lower than that observed for R(-) strains, a result of the absence of the second and more rapid of the two energy-dependent phases of DHS uptake seen in susceptible E. coli. A mutant of R(+)E. coli with reduced DHS resistance has been shown to have reduced levels of streptomycin-spectinomycin adenylyltransferase activity as well as enhanced drug accumulation. Actively accumulated DHS was recovered from R(+) cells as the adenylylated derivative. Neither was inactivated antibiotic detected in culture filtrates, nor was actively accumulated drug lost from R(+) cells under normal conditions. The cellular distribution of actively accumulated DHS in R(+) and R(-) cells was found to be the same. Membranes isolated from these cells retained only a small fraction ( approximately 1%) of the total cell-associated drug. The R(+) derivative of a mutant with defective energy transduction (E. coli NR-70) and reduced ability to transport aminoglycosides has a significantly higher minimal inhibitory concentration of DHS than its R(+) parent (strain 7). Streptomycin-spectinomycin adenylyltransferase activity, from comparisons of K(m) values and total activities of enzyme, was the same in both strains. The enzyme has been localized to the exterior surface of the bacterial inner membrane, although isolated membranes lacked detectable enzyme activity. The preceding observations are consistent with the proposal that the level of R71(a)-mediated DHS resistance is the outcome of competition between the rate of adenylylation and the rate of the first energy-dependent phase of DHS transport. When the rate of adenylylation exceeds the first energy-dependent phase, adenylylated DHS is accumulated, apparently in a manner identical to the accumulation of DHS. Unlike DHS, adenylylated DHS does not interact with ribosomes, and, consequently, there is a failure to initiate ribosomally dependent sequelae such as the second energy-dependent phase of accumulation, inhibition of protein synthesis, and/or misreading of mRNA.

Aminoglycosides↗

In vitro activity of tosufloxacin (A-61827; T-3262) against selected genital pathogens.

The in vitro activity of tosufloxacin (A-61827; T-3262) against 15 clinical isolates of Chlamydia trachomatis and 31 recent clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including 15 spectinomycin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae and 16 penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae, was determined. Tosufloxacin was compared with doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, and temafloxacin against C. trachomatis. Susceptibility testing was performed by using McCoy cell monolayers. The in vitro activity of tosufloxacin against N. gonorrhoeae was compared with that of ciprofloxacin, temafloxacin, doxycycline, ceftriaxone, and spectinomycin by using an agar dilution method. Tosufloxacin was as active as temafloxacin against C. trachomatis (MIC for 90% of strains tested [MIC90], 0.25 microgram/ml; MBC for 90% of strains tested [MBC90], 0.25 microgram/ml) and was almost as active as doxycycline (MIC90, 0.06 microgram/ml; MBC90, 0.125 microgram/ml). Ciprofloxacin, temafloxacin, and tosufloxacin were extremely active against N. gonorrhoeae, including spectinomycin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae and penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae, with MIC90s of 0.004, 0.015, and 0.008 microgram/ml, respectively. Ceftriaxone was slightly less active (MIC90, 0.03 microgram/ml), and doxycycline was the least active drug tested (MIC90, 4.0 micrograms/ml). Tosufloxacin and temafloxacin had excellent activity against the C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae strains tested.

4-Quinolones↗

Evolution of drug resistance in Salmonella panama isolates in Chile.

In a search for Salmonella isolates in the environment in Chile in 1975, drug-susceptible strains of Salmonella panama were recovered for the first time from river water and vegetables in the vicinity of Santiago. Two to 3 years later, antibiotic-resistant S. panama began to appear in a variety of sources (meat, animals, vegetables, etc.), giving rise to a human epidemic that involved the entire nation. Of 139 clinical isolates studied, 7 were drug susceptible, 11 were resistant only to nitrofurans, and 3 were streptomycin, spectinomycin, and nitrofuran resistant; none of these 21 isolates harbored plasmid DNA. Most isolates (n = 107) were resistant to nitrofurans (chromosomal) and to streptomycin, spectinomycin, sulfonamides, tetracycline, and mercuric and tellurite salts; this multidrug resistance was encoded on a 218-kb plasmid classified in a number of strains as being in the IncHI2 group. From 1982 to 1993, 11 isolates acquired an additional self-transferable plasmid coding for resistance to any one of ampicillin (61 kb), ampicillin and trimethoprim (65 kb), ampicillin, trimethoprim, streptomycin, and sulfonamides (71 kb), ampicillin, gentamicin, kanamycin, and tetracycline (120 kb), or a nontransferable plasmid of approximately 6 kb encoding resistance to ampicillin or kanamycin. With the exception of ampicillin or ampicillin and trimethoprim resistance, S. panama isolates from foodstuffs, mainly pork meat products, and animals had resistance patterns that were the same as those found in clinical specimens. Remarkably, strains from goats and goat cheese and from shellfish isolated in particular rural regions were either drug susceptible or resistant only to streptomycin-spectinomycin encoded on a mobile genetic element and to nitrofurans. The report describes the arrival of a susceptible S. panama strain, its spread all over the country, and the evolution of progressively complex resistance patterns.

Chile↗

Antimicrobial-resistant enteric bacteria from dairy cattle.

A study was conducted to understand the descriptive and molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative enteric bacteria in the feces of healthy lactating dairy cattle. Gram-negative enteric bacteria resistant to ampicillin, florfenicol, spectinomycin, and tetracycline were isolated from the feces of 35, 8, 5, and 42% of 213 lactating cattle on 74, 39, 9, 26, and 82% of 23 farms surveyed, respectively. Antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative bacteria accounted for 5 (florfenicol) to 14% (tetracycline) of total gram-negative enteric microflora. Nine bacterial species were isolated, of which Escherichia coli (87%) was the most predominant species. MICs showing reduced susceptibility to ampicillin, ceftiofur, chloramphenicol, florfenicol, spectinomycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline were observed in E. coli isolates. Isolates exhibited resistance to ampicillin (48%), ceftiofur (11%), chloramphenicol (20%), florfenicol (78%), spectinomycin (18%), and tetracycline (93%). Multidrug resistance (> or =3 to 6 antimicrobials) was seen in 40% of E. coli isolates from healthy lactating cattle. Of 113 tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates, tet(B) was the predominant resistance determinant and was detected in 93% of isolates, while the remaining 7% isolates carried the tet(A) determinant. DNA-DNA hybridization assays revealed that tet determinants were located on the chromosome. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates (n = 99 isolates) belonged to 60 subtypes, which is suggestive of a highly diverse population of tetracycline-resistant organisms. On most occasions, E. coli subtypes, although shared between cows within the herd, were confined mostly to a dairy herd. The findings of this study suggest that commensal enteric E. coli from healthy lactating cattle can be an important reservoir for tetracycline and perhaps other antimicrobial resistance determinants.

Animals↗

Method for establishing a bacterial inoculum on corn roots.

Few bacteria from the corn rhizosphere grew in media with 50 mug of mancozeb per ml. A mancozeb-resistant Pseudomonas strain from the rhizosphere was serially subcultured in media containing mancozeb and spectinomycin until it was resistant to 175 mug of mancozeb and 850 mug of spectinomycin per ml. The population of the pseudomonad added to soil fell to low numbers in 6 days in unamended or glucose-amended soil, but its numbers exceeded 10/g for at least 12 days if the soil was supplemented with mancozeb. The numbers of this organism remained small on corn roots derived from untreated, inoculated seeds, but the population was two or more orders of magnitude greater on roots derived from mancozeb-coated seeds. The abundance of the inoculum strain on the 3-cm portion of roots nearest the stem declined markedly after about 1 week, but applying urea to the foliage reduced or prevented the decline. The numbers of the pseudomonad on segments of roots 3- to 6- and 6- to 9-cm from the stem were higher on plants derived from the mancozeb-coated seeds. Applying spectinomycin to the foliage did not promote growth of the bacterium. This method is proposed as a means to establish an introduced bacterium on plant roots.

Journal Article↗

Chromosomal gene inactivation in the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum by natural transformation.

Conditions for inactivating chromosomal genes of Chlorobium tepidum by natural transformation and homologous recombination were established. As a model, mutants unable to perform nitrogen fixation were constructed by interrupting nifD with various antibiotic resistance markers. Growth of wild-type C. tepidum at 40 degrees C on agar plates could be completely inhibited by 100 microg of gentamicin ml(-1), 2 microg of erythromycin ml(-1), 30 microg of chloramphenicol ml(-1), or 1 microg of tetracycline ml(-1) or a combination of 300 microg of streptomycin ml(-1) and 150 microg of spectinomycin ml(-1). Transformation was performed by spotting cells and DNA on an agar plate for 10 to 20 h. Transformation frequencies on the order of 10(-7) were observed with gentamicin and erythromycin markers, and transformation frequencies on the order of 10(-3) were observed with a streptomycin-spectinomycin marker. The frequency of spontaneous mutants resistant to gentamicin, erythromycin, or spectinomycin-streptomycin was undetectable or significantly lower than the transformation frequency. Transformation with the gentamicin marker was observed when the transforming DNA contained 1 or 3 kb of total homologous flanking sequence but not when the transforming DNA contained only 0.3 kb of homologous sequence. Linearized plasmids transformed at least an order of magnitude better than circular plasmids. This work forms a foundation for the systematic targeted inactivation of genes in C. tepidum, whose 2.15-Mb genome has recently been completely sequenced.

Chlorobi↗

Genome engineering in Bacillus anthracis using Cre recombinase.

Genome engineering is a powerful method for the study of bacterial virulence. With the availability of the complete genomic sequence of Bacillus anthracis, it is now possible to inactivate or delete selected genes of interest. However, many current methods for disrupting or deleting more than one gene require use of multiple antibiotic resistance determinants. In this report we used an approach that temporarily inserts an antibiotic resistance marker into a selected region of the genome and subsequently removes it, leaving the target region (a single gene or a larger genomic segment) permanently mutated. For this purpose, a spectinomycin resistance cassette flanked by bacteriophage P1 loxP sites oriented as direct repeats was inserted within a selected gene. After identification of strains having the spectinomycin cassette inserted by a double-crossover event, a thermo-sensitive plasmid expressing Cre recombinase was introduced at the permissive temperature. Cre recombinase action at the loxP sites excised the spectinomycin marker, leaving a single loxP site within the targeted gene or genomic segment. The Cre-expressing plasmid was then removed by growth at the restrictive temperature. The procedure could then be repeated to mutate additional genes. In this way, we sequentially mutated two pairs of genes: pepM and spo0A, and mcrB and mrr. Furthermore, loxP sites introduced at distant genes could be recombined by Cre recombinase to cause deletion of large intervening regions. In this way, we deleted the capBCAD region of the pXO2 plasmid and the entire 30 kb of chromosomal DNA between the mcrB and mrr genes, and in the latter case we found that the 32 intervening open reading frames were not essential to growth.

Bacillus anthracis↗

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus hyicus isolated from exudative epidermitis in pigs.

Exudative epidermitis or greasy pig syndrome is caused by the coagulase-variable staphylococcal species Staphylococcus hyicus. Treatment of this disease is problematic because of the limited number of antimicrobial agents available for this purpose. Thirteen antimicrobial agents were evaluated for their activities against 100 S. hyicus strains isolated from pigs with exudative epidermitis. Novobiocin was the most active compound tested, with an MIC for 90% of the strains tested (MIC90) of < or = 0.06 microgram/ml. Enrofloxacin, ampicillin, and ceftiofur were the next most active compounds, with MIC90s of 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 microgram/ml, respectively. However, 41.4% of the 99 strains tested were positive for beta-lactamase production. The MIC90s of erythromycin, tetracycline, and streptomycin were > 32.0 micrograms/ml. Initial testing with sulfadiazine-trimethoprim yielded an MIC90 of > 64.0 micrograms/ml, but subsequent testing with thymidine phosphorylase-supplemented medium yielded an MIC90 of 0.06 microgram/ml. Both lincomycin and spectinomycin were relatively inactive against the S. hyicus strains tested, with MIC90s of > 64.0 and > 128.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. However, the combination of the two compounds at ratios of 1:2 (lincomycin to spectinomycin) and 1:8 were more active, with MIC90s of 16.0 and 4.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. These results indicate that novobiocin and sulfadiazine-trimethoprim were the most active compounds tested against the S. hyicus strains isolated from pigs with exudative epidermitis. Furthermore, the combination of lincomycin and spectinomycin was more active than the individual compounds against the strains tested.

Animals↗

Comparison of MICs of ceftiofur and other antimicrobial agents against bacterial pathogens of swine from the United States, Canada, and Denmark.

The MICs of ceftiofur and other antimicrobial agents, tested for comparison, for 515 bacterial isolates of pigs from the United States, Canada, and Denmark with various diseases were compared. The organisms tested included Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Salmonella choleraesuis, Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus suis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. In addition to ceftiofur, the following antimicrobial agents or combinations were tested: enrofloxacin, ampicillin, sulfamethazine, trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (1:19), erythromycin, lincomycin, spectinomycin, lincomycin-spectinomycin (1:8), tilmicosin, and tetracycline. Tilmicosin was only tested against the U.S. isolates. Overall, ceftiofur and enrofloxacin were the most active antimicrobial agents tested against all isolates, with MICs inhibiting 90% of isolates tested (MIC90s) of < or = 2.0 and < or = 1.0 microgram/ml, respectively. Erythromycin, sulfamethazine, spectinomycin, and lincomycin demonstrated limited activity against all of the organisms tested, with MIC90s of > or = 8.0, > or = 256.0, > or = 32.0, and > or = 16.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. Trimethoprim-sulfadiazine was active against isolates of A. pleuropneumoniae, S. choleraesuis, S. typhimurium, P. multocida, S. equi, and S. suis (MIC90s, < or = 0.5 microgram/ml) but was less active against the E. coli strains tested (MIC90, > 16.0 micrograms/ml). Ampicillin was active against the P. multocida, S. suis, and S. equi isolates tested (MIC90s, 0.5, 0.06, and 0.06 micrograms/ml, respectively) and was moderately active against S. typhimurium (MIC90s, 2.0 micrograms/ml). However, this antimicrobial agent was much less active when it was tested against A. pleuropneumoniae, S. cholerae-suis, and E. coli (MIC90s, 16.0, > 32.0, and 32.0 micrograms/ml, respectively). Against the U.S. isolates of A. pleuropneumoniae and P. multocida, tilmicosin was moderately active (MIC90s, 4.0 and 8.0 micrograms/ml, respectively). However, this compound was not active against the remaining U.S. isolates (MIC90s, > 64.0 micrograms/ml). Differences in the MICs from one country to another were not detected with enrofloxacin, ceftiofur, or lincomycin for the strains tested, but variations in the MICs of the remaining antimicrobial agents were observed.

Animals↗