This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Orberg, P K Articles by Sandine, W E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Orberg, P K Articles by Sandine, W E Agricola Articles by Orberg, P K Articles by Sandine, W E

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1984 December; 48(6): 1129-1133

Common occurrence of plasmid DNA and vancomycin resistance in Leuconostoc spp.

ABSTRACT

Resistance to vancomycin permitted detection, in a culture of Streptococcus cremoris 290PC, of a contaminant gram-positive coccus. Morphological and physiological characteristics indicated that this bacterium was a strain of Leuconostoc sp., designated PO184. This strain contained four plasmid species, which were distinct from those harbored by S. cremoris 290PC. Antibiotic disk susceptibility tests indicated that Leuconostoc sp. strain PO184 was also resistant to sulfathiazole and trimethoprim and susceptible to 17 other antimicrobials. The MIC of vancomycin for this strain was greater than 2,000 micrograms/ml, and resistance did not depend on drug inactivation. Leuconostoc sp. strain PO184 produced a substance which was inhibitory to S. cremoris U134, but not to S. lactis ATCC 11454. Five other leuconostocs produced substances with antibacterial activity. Of 18 strains of Leuconostoc sp., 14 were resistant to at least 500 micrograms of vancomycin per ml, including four L. oenos strains which harbored no plasmid DNA in the 1- to 76-megadalton range. Twelve Leuconostoc sp. strains contained at least one plasmid species in this mass range. These findings are discussed from the physiological, taxonomical, and ecological standpoints and with regard to their potential applications.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Bascomb, S., Manafi, M. (1998). Use of Enzyme Tests in Characterization and Identification of Aerobic and Facultatively Anaerobic Gram-Positive Cocci. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 11: 318-340 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Park, I.-S., Walsh, C. T. (1997). D-Alanyl-D-Lactate and D-Alanyl-D-Alanine Synthesis by D-Alanyl-D-Alanine Ligase from Vancomycin-resistant Leuconostoc mesenteroides. EFFECTS OF A PHENYLALANINE 261TO TYROSINE MUTATION. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 9210-9214 [Abstract] [Full Text]