Common mechanism of ampC beta-lactamase induction in enterobacteria: regulation of the cloned Enterobacter cloacae P99 beta-lactamase gene.

Expression of the chromosomal beta-lactamase from the ampC gene in inducible in both Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii. Cloning of ampC as well as its regulatory gene, ampR, from E. cloacae P99 revealed a gene organization indentical to that of C. freundii in the corresponding region. Although almost no similarities could be found between the restriction maps of ampC and ampR in the two species, the genes cross-hybridize. Also, both ampR gene products have a size of about 31,000. The regulatory features of E. cloacae beta-lactamase induction are very similar to those in C. freundii, i.e., beta-lactamase synthesis is repressed by AmpR in the absence, and stimulated in the presence, of inducer. The AmpR function can be transcomplemented between the two species, but there are quantitative regulatory aberrations in such hybrids, in contrast to the total complementation obtained within each system. These results suggest that the mechanism of beta-lactamase induction is the same in E. cloacae, C. freundii, and other gram-negative bacteria with inducible chromosomal beta-lactamase expression.     

Nonspecific induction of beta-lactamase in Enterobacter cloacae

Induction of beta-lactamase was monitored in a strain of Enterobacter cloacae exhibiting high resistance to most beta-lactam antibiotics. Large amounts of the enzyme were induced not only in the presence of beta-lactams, but also in the presence of other bicyclic molecules such as folic acid, thiamin, tryptophan or haemin. Moreover, complex media (such as Trypticase soy broth and Schaedler's broth) and various body fluids (serum, pleural fluid and cerebrospinal fluid) also possessed considerable induction potency. Neither 'specific' induction (by beta-lactams) nor 'non-specific' induction (by other bicyclic compounds) could be augmented by addition of exogenous cAMP. These findings indicate that inducible beta-lactamases deserve more attention, above all with respect to the development of resistance against third-generation cephalosporins.     

Biochemical differentiation in large colonies of Enterobacter cloacae

Large colonies of Enterobacter cloacae which were about 700 micrometer thick were frozen in liquid nitrogen and sectioned horizontally. The sections were disrupted and several oxidative enzymes were assayed in the crude unfractionated homogenates. In the top 120 micrometer of the colonies the specific activities of the enzymes were high and characteristic of aerobically adapted cells. Cells nearer the base of colonies had very low enzyme activities.     

Chromate-resistance in a chromate-reducing strain of Enterobacter cloacae

Resistance to toxic hexavalent chromium (chromate: CrO4(2)) in Enterobacter cloacae strain HO1, isolated from an activated sludge sample, was investigated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Decreased uptake of 51CrO4(2-) in E. cloacae strain HO1 was observed under aerobic conditions, when compared with a standard laboratory E. cloacae strain (IAM 1624). Under anaerobic conditions E. cloacae strain HO1 was able to reduce hexavalent chromium to the less toxic trivalent form. When E. clocacae strain HO1 was grown with nitrate anaerobically, the cells were observed to lose simultaneously their chromate-reducing ability and chromate-resistance under anaerobic conditions.     

Purification and Properties of Uricase from Enterobacter cloacae

Uricase activity was found in Enterobacter cloacae KY3074 grown on guanine, hypoxanthine, uric acid, and xanthine media. The enzyme was purified from cells grown on uric acid as a source of nitrogen. The purification procedure included ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-150, and column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and DEAE-Sephadex. The enzyme had a molecular weight of about 105,000 and was specific for uric acid. The optimum pH was around 9.5, and the activity was inhibited by the presence of potassium cyanide, Ag⁺ or Cu²⁺. This uricase can be used for estimation of uric acid.     

Purification and Genetic Determination of Bacteriocin Production in Enterobacter cloacae

Enterobacter cloacae (strain DF13) was found to produce a bacteriocin which could be induced by mitomycin C. In the supernatant fluid of the induced culture phagelike particles were found. The bacteriocin was partially purified from induced cultures by ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel-filtration on Sephadex G-150. Ultraviolet-absorbing material was eluted from the Sephadex column in three fractions. The biological activity was mainly present in the second fraction and is associated with a protein with a molecular weight of about 61,000. The phagelike particles were found in the first fraction and show no biological activity. Upon conjugation of E. cloacae strain DF13 with another strain of the same species and with Escherichia coli K-12S, the ability to produce bacteriocin was transferred. The new bacteriocinogenic strain produced bacteriocin, which could not be distinguished from that produced by E. cloacae strain DF13. Although transfer of the bacteriocinogenic factor often occurred together with transfer of the ability to produce phagelike particles, it was shown that these two factors are two separate genetic entities. In addition to a bacteriocinogenic factor, E. cloacae strain DF13 was found to carry two other transferable plasmids: one determining resistance against streptomycin and sulfanilamide and another determining resistance against penicillin.     

阴沟肠杆菌耐碳青霉烯类抗生素的耐药机制研究进展

阴沟肠杆菌是肠杆菌科中常见的院内感染细菌,碳青霉烯类抗生素由于其抗菌谱广、抗菌力强,成为治疗产ESBLs和AmpC酶革兰阴性杆菌感染的有效抗菌药物.但随着碳青霉烯类抗生素的广泛应用,临床上出现很多耐碳青霉烯类抗生素的阴沟肠杆菌(carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter cloacae,CREL),本研究就其耐药机制,从产碳青霉烯酶和非产碳青霉烯酶两方面做一综述.     

Isolation and characterization of Enterobacter cloacae capable of metabolizing asparagine

A gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium capable of utilizing l-asparagine as its sole source of carbon and nitrogen was isolated from soil and identified as Enterobacter cloacae. An intracellularly expressed l-asparaginase was detected and it deaminated l-asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis of a cell-free asparaginase reaction mixture indicated that 2.8 mM l-asparagine was hydrolyzed to 2.2 and 2.8 mM aspartic acid and ammonia, respectively, within 20 min of incubation. High asparaginase activity was found in cells cultured on l-fructose, d-galactose, saccharose, or maltose, and in cells cultured on l-asparagine as the sole nitrogen source. The pH and temperature optimum of l-asparaginase was 8.5 and 37–42 °C, respectively. The half-life of the enzyme at 30 °C and 37 °C was 10 and 8 h, respectively. Received: 19 February 1998 / Received last revision: 4 June 1998 / Accepted: 10 July 1998     

Effect of cefoxitin and clindamycin on selection of derepressed mutants in Enterobacter cloacae

The characteristics of an antibiotic that favor its ability to select for resistant bacteria are not completely understood. Otherwise, by the common use of broad-spectrum cephalosporins, resistant strains of several gram-negative species, especially Enterobacter cloacae, have been more frequently isolated. During our studies on beta-lactam resistance in E. cloacae, we observed that the addition of an inhibitor (clindamycin) to a potent inducer (cefoxitin) leads to an enhanced selection of resistant mutants. This could explain the emergence of beta-lactam resistant strains during antibiotic therapy.     

外排泵抑制剂对阴沟肠杆菌耐药表型影响

目的探讨主动外排泵在临床分离阴沟肠杆菌多重耐药的作用。方法收集、分离及鉴定阴沟肠杆菌,采用琼脂稀释法测定多重耐药泵抑制剂氰氯苯腙(carbonyl cyanldem-chlorophenylhydrazone,CCCP)应用前后,阴沟肠杆菌对头孢他啶、阿米卡星、阿奇霉素、左氧氟沙星和四环素5种抗生素的最小抑菌浓度(MIC)的变化。结果以上述5种抗生素为底物8,3株阴沟肠杆菌中,分别有303、61、9、32和28株在10μg/mL CCCP条件下MIC值降低4倍或4倍以上,其中有19株同时对3种及以上抗生素有明显外排作用。外排泵存在于耐药株和非耐药株中,但对耐药株的影响较大。结论主动外排系统广泛存在于临床分离阴沟肠杆菌中,是引起阴沟肠杆菌多重耐药的重要机制。外排泵抑制剂CCCP可增加阴沟肠杆菌对抗菌药物的敏感性。     

229株阴沟肠杆菌的标本分布及耐药性分析

目的 了解阴沟肠杆菌在医院感染的标本分布和耐药情况,为临床合理选择和应用抗生素提供依据.方法 采用VITEK 60全自动微生物分析仪和配套的GNI、GNS-143、GNI-448,对229株阴沟肠杆菌进行分离鉴定和药敏试验,药敏结果使用WHONET 5.5软件进行分析.结果 从2007年1月至2011年9月共分离到阴沟肠杆菌229株,59.0％来自于呼吸道标本,其次是尿液占13.5％,再次为创面分泌物/脓液占12.7％.阴沟肠杆菌对美洛培南、亚胺培南和头孢哌酮/舒巴坦的耐药率分别为0.0％、0.4％和2.5％,对氨苄西林、头孢唑啉、头孢西丁的耐药率分别为98.7％、96.9％、97.5％.结论 阴沟肠杆菌耐药机制复杂,对抗生素具有多重耐药性,临床应合理使用抗菌药物,以减少阴沟肠杆菌耐药性的产生和在院内扩散.     

Biological and immunological comparisons of Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli porins

Abstract Bacteriocin susceptibilities indicate that during cloacin DF13 uptake the F porin of Enterobacter cloacae plays a similar role to that reported for the OmpF porin of Escherichia coli during colicin A entry. The translocatory activities of these two porins during the bacteriocin uptake can be substituted by the porins D and OmpC, respectively, under conditions not requiring the receptor binding step. Using anti-peptide antibodies, a peptide located in the internal loop L3 of the Escherichia coli OmpF porin was identified in the D and F porins of Enterobacter cloacae. The results demonstrated the existence of a close relationship between porins in terms of both antigenic determinants and bacteriocin susceptibilities.     

医院感染阴沟肠杆菌的耐药性及基因型分析

了解中南大学湘雅三医院重症监护病房(ICU)医院感染阴沟肠杆菌的耐药谱及分子流行病学特征,指导临床合理用药。基因分型采用优化反应体系的随机扩增多态性DNA(RAPD)法,耐药分析选用K-B法。RAPD分型将28株阴沟肠杆菌分为11种株型,耐药谱则将其分为12种不同的耐药型。基因分型和耐药分析显示ICU有多重耐药的阴沟肠杆菌株爆发流行现象,它为控制阴沟肠杆菌的医院内感染、追踪传染原、切断传播途径提供遗传学信息,指导临床医生选用敏感有效的抗生素。     

Temperature sensitivity of a nifA-like gene in Enterobacter cloacae.

Nitrogen fixation (nif) genes of Enterobacter cloacae, a rhizosphere diazotroph of rice plants, were identified by using cloned Klebsiella pneumoniae nif gene fragments as probes for molecular hybridization. The product of a nifA-like gene of E. cloacae appeared less temperature sensitive than the K. pneumoniae nifA gene product. This result correlates with the fact that E. cloacae can fix nitrogen at 39 degrees C, while K. pneumoniae cannot.     

Reduced expression of outer-membrane proteins in beta-lactam-resistant mutants of Enterobacter cloacae

Two antibiotic-resistant mutants of Enterobacter cloacae (AZT-R and AMA-R), obtained by selection with aztreonam and carumonam, were studied. Both mutants were resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. In addition, AMA-R was also resistant to chloramphenicol, trimethoprim and brodimoprim, whereas AZT-R was hypersensitive to these compounds. Cytoplasmic and outer membranes of these bacteria were separated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Analysis of the outer membranes using SDS-PAGE showed marked changes in the bands corresponding to the porins (between 35 and 40 kDa). In the two mutants, the 39 kDa band was reduced to approximately 30% of the wild-type and the 36.5 kDa band was absent. Labelling of the outer membranes with the hydrophobic photolabel 3-(trifluoomethyl)- 3-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)diazirine ([125I]TID) enabled the above bands as well as a 28.8 kDa band to be identified as integral membrane proteins, thus supporting the suggestion that they correspond to porins and OmpA protein, respectively. Whereas the changes observed in outer-membrane proteins are assumed to be responsible for resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, the basis of hypersensitivity of AZT-R to hydrophobic antibiotics remains to be more clearly defined.     

Cloning and characterization of chromosomally encoded cephalosporinase gene of Enterobacter cloacae

The cephalosporinase gene, cpa, which codes for an inducible class I chromosomal beta-lactamase in Enterobacter cloacae was cloned on a fragment of 6.05 kilobase pairs inserted into plasmid pACYC184 and transferred into Escherichia coli HB101 recipient cells. The constructed hybrid plasmid, designated pGGQ101, carried a genomic fragment which retained its parental inducibility characteristics, although its expression level in transformed E. coli cells fell to 40-65% of its initial level in E. cloacae. The localization of the cpa gene on pGGQ101 plasmid was determined by Bal31 exonuclease deletion mapping and further confirmed by subcloning HindIII-AvaI restriction fragment on pMB9 plasmid vector. Labeling with [35S]methionine of pGGQ101 specified proteins in a minicell system showed that six or seven proteins are encoded by the insert. Two proteins with apparent molecular mass of 42 000 and 39 500 daltons, respectively, most probably represent the premature and mature cephalosporinase forms.