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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2006, p. 1316-1321, Vol. 72, No. 2
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.2.1316-1321.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Natural Transformation-Mediated Transfer of Erythromycin Resistance in Campylobacter coli Strains from Turkeys and Swine

Joo-Sung Kim,1 Donna K. Carver,2 and Sophia Kathariou1*

Department of Food Science,1 Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 276952

Received 9 August 2005/ Accepted 23 November 2005

Erythromycin resistance in Campylobacter coli from meat animals is frequently encountered and could represent a substantial barrier to antibiotic treatment of human infections. Erythromycin resistance in this organism has been associated with a point mutation (A2075G) in the 23S rRNA gene. However, the mechanisms responsible for possible dissemination of erythromycin resistance in C. coli remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated transformation-mediated acquisition of erythromycin resistance by genotypically diverse C. coli strains from turkeys and swine, with total genomic DNA from erythromycin-resistant C. coli of either turkey or swine origin used as a donor. Overall, transformation to erythromycin resistance was significantly more frequent in C. coli strains from turkeys than in swine-derived strains (P < 0.01). The frequency of transformation to erythromycin resistance was 10–5 to 10–6 for turkey-derived strains but 10–7 or less for C. coli from swine. Transformants harbored the point mutation A2075G in the 23S rRNA gene, as did the erythromycin-resistant strains used as DNA donors. Erythromycin resistance was stable in transformants following serial transfers in the absence of the antibiotic, and most transformants had high MICs (>256 µg/ml), as did the C. coli donor strains. In contrast to the results obtained with transformation, spontaneous mutants had relatively low erythromycin MICs (32 to 64 µg/ml) and lacked the A2075G mutation in the 23S rRNA gene. These findings suggest that natural transformation has the potential to contribute to the dissemination of high-level resistance to erythromycin among C. coli strains colonizing meat animals.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: North Carolina State University, Department of Food Science, CB 7624, Raleigh, NC 27695-7624. Phone: (919) 513-2075. Fax: (919) 513-0014. E-mail: sophia_kathariou{at}ncsu.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2006, p. 1316-1321, Vol. 72, No. 2
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.2.1316-1321.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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