Induction of a Streptomyces cacaoi β-lactamase gene cloned in S. lividans

Summary The previously cloned class A -lactamase gene (bla) of Streptomyces cacaoi was shown to be inducible by -lactam compounds in the host organism S. lividans. A regulatory region of 2.75 kb was identified and the nucleotide sequence determined. It contained four open reading frames (ORFs) of which only two were complete and required for induction. ORF1-ORF2 exerted a positive regulatory effect on the expression of bla. Inactivation of ORF1 or of ORF2 resulted not only in the loss of induction, but also in a 30- to 60-fold decrease in the basal (non-induced) level of -lactamase production. ORF1 codes for a DNA-binding protein related to the AmpR repressor/activator, which controls the expression of ampC (class C -lactamase) genes in several Enterobacteria.     

AmpC Promoter and Attenuator Mutations Affect Function of Three <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> Strains

To investigate the correlation between mutations in promoter, attenuator, and the AmpC enzyme overproduction in Escherichia coli. ampC Promoters from 4 Escherichia coli clinical isolates were cloned upstream to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene in pCAT3 reporter plasmid. Promoter strengths were measured by chloramphenicol MIC and gene sequencing was done on the cloned ampC promoter and attenuator. The strength of promoters from AmpC hyperproducers were 8- to 64-fold higher than those from a low-level AmpC producers. In one of the high-strength promoters, the mutations were located at positions −32, +22, +26, +32 (attenuator), −76, and +79. In another promoter, the mutations were located at positions −88, −82, −18, −1, and +58. In the third promoter, mutations were found at positions −1, +58, −80, −73, −28, and +82. Mutations in Escherichia coli promoter and attenuator sequences promoted Chloramphenicol MICs, which may be the primary causal mechanism for resistance to β-lactams antibiotics.     

An active β-lactamase is a part of an orchestrated cell wall stress resistance network of Bacillus subtilis and related rhizosphere species

A hallmark of the Gram-positive bacteria, such as the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis, is their cell wall. Here, we report that d -leucine and flavomycin, biofilm inhibitors targeting the cell wall, activate the β-lactamase PenP. This β-lactamase contributes to ampicillin resistance in B. subtilis under all conditions tested. In contrast, both Spo0A, a master regulator of nutritional stress, and the general cell wall stress response, differentially contribute to β-lactam resistance under different conditions. To test whether β-lactam resistance and β-lactamase genes are widespread in other Bacilli, we isolated Bacillus species from undisturbed soils, and found that their genomes can encode up to five β-lactamases with differentiated activity spectra. Surprisingly, the activity of environmental β-lactamases and PenP, as well as the general stress response, resulted in a similarly reduced lag phase of the culture in the presence of β-lactam antibiotics, with little or no impact on the logarithmic growth rate. The length of the lag phase may determine the outcome of the competition between β-lactams and β-lactamases producers. Overall, our work suggests that antibiotic resistance genes in B. subtilis and related species are ancient and widespread, and could be selected by interspecies competition in undisturbed soils.     

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the gene coding for a subunit of the respiratory NADH dehydrogenase from Bacillus stearothermophilus

The putative gene coding for a subunit of the respiratory NADH dehydrogenase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was cloned in Escherichia coli and the nucleotide sequence was determined. A large open reading frame (ORF1) was recognized, which was composed of 879 bp corresponding to 293 amino acids and a molecular weight of 33,600. Possible promoter and Shine-Dalgarno sequences were found upstream from the initiation codon. The deduced amino acid sequence of the gene was homologous to the NADH dehydrogenase of Paramecium aurelia.