Distribution of streptothricin acetyltransferase encodi determinants among environmental bacteria |
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| Authors: | K SMALLA R PRAGER M ISEMANN† R PUKALL E TIETZE J D VAN ELSAS‡ H TSCHÄPE |
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| Institution: | Federal Biological Research Centre, Institute of Biochemistry and Plant Virology, Messeweg 11/12, D-3300 Braunsclm;*Federal Institute of Health, Robert-Koch-Institute, Burgstraße 37, D-O 3700 Wernigerode;†Hygiene Institute, Wallonerberg 2/3, D-O 3040 Magdeburg, Germany;‡Institute for Soil Fertility Research, Keijenbergseweg 6, PO Box 48, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | In this paper we report about a screening for streptothricin- (St)-resistant phenotypes and genotypes among environmental bacteria from a St virgin area. St-resistant bacteria were isolated from river water, sewage, manure and soil by selective plating. The resistance quotient was typical of an area without selective pressure. The occurrence of streptothricin acetyltransferase-encoding determinants and their localization on a Tn7-like transposon was tested by the application of a set of gene probes. Sat genes could be detected in 22.5% of the tested St-resistant bacteria but in 100% of the checked Enterobacteriaceae. However, we could not detect sat genes in St-resistant bacteria from soil samples. Surprisingly the sat genes were found to be located on conjugative or mobilizable plasmids for a rather high number of strains. The determined plasmid species and their restriction patterns showed a high degree of similarities to those observed from an area of strong selective pressure. |
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| Keywords: | environmental bacteria molecular detection streptothricin resistance Tn7-like transposons |
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