![[Feedback]](/icons/banner/feedbackACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[For Subscribers]](/icons/banner/subscriberACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Archive]](/icons/banner/archiveACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Search]](/icons/banner/searchACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Contents]](/icons/banner/tocACT.gif){kind=icon}
Previous Article | Next Article 
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 2000, p. 1448-1452, Vol. 44, No. 6
Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and
Reference Laboratory,1 and National
Collection of Type Cultures,2 Central Public
Health Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, United Kingdom
Received 9 August 1999/Returned for modification 20 December
1999/Accepted 3 March 2000
Genes encoding carbapenemases in 15 reference strains of
Chryseobacterium (Flavobacterium)
meningosepticum from the United Kingdom National Collection
of Type Cultures and in one recent clinical isolate were investigated.
All the strains hydrolyzed imipenem, but their levels of resistance to
carbapenems varied, with imipenem and meropenem MICs ranging from 2 to
>32 µg/ml. The blaB gene, which encodes a
molecular-class B carbapenemase, was detected in only six reference
strains and in clinical isolate 97/P/5448. The gene from 97/P/5448 had
98% nucleotide identity with the published sequence of
blaB (from strain NCTC 10585) and was designated
blaB2. A distinct carbapenemase gene, designated blaB3, was cloned from the type strain of C. meningosepticum, NCTC 10016. blaB3 had an open
reading frame of 750 bp with 82% nucleotide identity to
blaB and blaB2 and encoded a
0066-4804/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Carbapenemases of Chryseobacterium
(Flavobacterium) meningosepticum: Distribution of
blaB and Characterization of a Novel
Metallo-
-Lactamase Gene, blaB3, in the Type Strain,
NCTC 10016
-lactamase of
249 amino acids, including the putative signal peptide. This -lactamase showed 87.6 and 86.7% amino acid homology with BlaB and
BlaB2, respectively. blaB3 was detected in one other
reference strain besides NCTC 10016, but the genetic basis of the
carbapenemase activity detected in the other seven reference strains
was not defined. Thus, neither blaB nor blaB3
was ubiquitous in the strains of C. meningosepticum
studied, indicating that the reference strains may represent more than
one bacterial species, each with its own intrinsic
metallo--lactamase. Further taxonomic studies of C. meningosepticum are necessary to resolve this topic.
Chryseobacterium spp. are environmental organisms and
occasional opportunist pathogens. They apparently represent a reservoir
of diverse metallo--lactamases, which potentially spread to
gram-negative bacteria of greater clinical significance.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Antibiotic
Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health
Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, United Kingdom. Phone: 44-(0)20-8200-4400,
ext. 4255. Fax: 44-(0)20-8358-3292. E-mail:
nwoodford{at}phls.nhs.uk.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| Clin. Vaccine Immunol. | Clin. Microbiol. Rev. |
|---|---|
| J. Clin. Microbiol. | ALL ASM JOURNALS |
