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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 1998, p. 2267-2273, Vol. 42, No. 9
0066-4804/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Association of a Thr-371 Substitution in a Conserved Amino Acid
Motif of Penicillin-Binding Protein 1A with Penicillin Resistance
of Streptococcus pneumoniae
Yasuko
Asahi* and
Kimiko
Ubukata
Department of Clinical Pathology, Teikyo
University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
173-8605, Japan
Received 4 September 1997/Returned for modification 29 December
1997/Accepted 22 June 1998
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ABSTRACT |
We determined the nucleotide sequence between 1,903 and 3,097 bp of
pbp1a, which encodes the transpeptidase domain of PBP 1A,
from clinical isolates of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) serotypes 19 (n = 8), 6 (n = 9), 23 (n = 6), and 14 (n = 2) and two penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (PSSP) isolates. These serotyped PRSP strains were
isolated predominantly in Japan from 1993 through 1997. The 25 resistant strains were classified into five groups on the basis of the
extent of sequence differences. Strains in groups I (n = 5; serotype 6), II (n = 3; serotype 19), and III
(n = 12; different serotypes) had sequences highly
homologous to the sequence of pbp1a of PRSP strains from South Africa, Spain, and the United States. The group IV strain (n = 1; serotype 14) had unique deletions from or
insertions in the sequences. The sequences of group V strains
(n = 4; serotypes 6 and 23) had relatively few
differences from the sequences of the PSSP strains. For strains
(n = 18) for which the threonine at codon 371 (Thr-371) in a conserved STMK motif of PBP 1A was substituted with an
alanine or a serine (in addition to having altered pbp2x
and pbp2b genes), penicillin MICs were
1.0 µg/ml. The
PBPs 1A of these strains showed decreased affinities for
[3H]benzylpenicillin and slightly faster mobilities on
sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. In contrast, for strains
(n = 4) without a substitution at Thr-371 in PBP 1A
but with mutations in both pbp2x and pbp2b,
penicillin MICs were 0.125 to 0.25 µg/ml, and the affinities of their
PBPs 1A were similar to that of PSSP PBPs 1A. Furthermore, for the
Thr-371-substituted strains (n = 3) with altered
pbp2x genes but native pbp2b genes, penicillin MICs were 0.125 to 0.25 µg/ml. These results suggest that amino acid
substitution of Thr-371 contributes to the development of penicillin
resistance in PRSP strains with altered pbp2x and
pbp2b genes.
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INTRODUCTION |
Severe infections due to
penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) have
become a serious problem worldwide. The resistance of S. pneumoniae to
-lactams involves decreased affinities of
penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) resulting from alterations in PBPs
(12, 21) due to the horizontal transfer of DNA blocks from
oral streptococci (5, 6, 9, 16, 18). Among the PBPs usually
found in S. pneumoniae, PBPs 1A, 2B, and 2X are the most
important in the development of resistance (14, 18, 20, 26).
Dowson et al. (5, 6, 9) performed a genetic analysis of PRSP
to and found that the pbp2b alteration occurs by gene transfer. Hakenbeck et al. (12) examined the PBPs of PRSP
and found multiple changes in PBPs, especially in PBP 1A and PBP 2B and
the appearance of PBP 2X but no change in PBP 3. The production of PBP
2X and PBP 1A in PRSP resistant to broad-spectrum cephalosporins was
reported by Muñoz et al.
The nucleotide sequences of pbp1a (18, 19),
pbp2x (15, 16), and pbp2b
(6-8) in penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (PSSP) and PRSP have already been determined. Dowson et al.
(6) classified the pbp2b of PRSP into classes A
and B on the basis of mutation patterns. We previously analyzed part of
pbp2b, which encodes the PBP 2B transpeptidase region in
PRSP strains isolated in Japan (29). On the basis of the
sequencing results, we applied PCR with primers designed to detect
class A and B pbp2b genes, and we have reported that PRSP
strains with class B alterations are common in Japan (25).
To study the relationship between PBP alterations in S. pneumoniae and
-lactam susceptibility, we designed primers that
detect three genes: pbp1a, pbp2x, and
pbp2b (26). Corresponding to the diversities in
the PBP gene from PRSP, DNA amplifications occur specifically only in
the unaltered genes of susceptible strains but do not occur in altered
genes from a resistant strain. Our results indicated that the PBP gene
most related to resistance differed depending on the type of
-lactam
(26). Resistance to penicillins is affected to the same
degree by altered pbp1a and pbp2b genes, while
resistance to cephems is mainly affected by altered pbp1a
and pbp2x genes, and resistance to carbapenems and penem is
affected by altered pbp1a and pbp2b genes
(20, 26). We have also reported that simultaneous
alterations of the pbp1a, pbp2x, and
pbp2b genes resulted in the highest level of resistance
compared with the levels of resistance when only two genes,
pbp2x and pbp2b, pbp1a and
pbp2b, and pbp1a and pbp2x, were
altered (26).
The open reading frame of pbp1a in PSSP encodes a
719-amino-acid protein with an estimated molecular mass of 79.8 kDa
(19). PBP 1A is suggested to be a bifunctional enzyme with
transglycosylase and transpeptidase activities, as deduced from its
high degree of homology to Escherichia coli PBP 1A. DNA
sequences have been determined for some PRSP strains (serotype 6, 14, or 23) isolated in South Africa, Spain (13), and the United
States (3). The pbp1a genes reportedly contain
four types of resistance blocks (13). As with
pbp2b and pbp2x, pbp1a has been shown
to be a mosaic gene that contains blocks of DNA from other sources
encoding resistance. Among PRSP strains isolated in Japan, serotype 19 is the most frequently found, followed by serotypes 6 and 23. Serotype
14 is very rare (24). In this report we describe the results
of genetic studies of pbp1a, along with those of
pbp2x and pbp2b, from clinical PRSP isolates with
different serotypes. We also investigated the nucleotide sequence
between 1,903 and 3,097 bp of pbp1a and found that
substitution of Thr-371 with alanine or serine predominated. The
substitution of Thr-371 is associated with the level of resistance to
penicillin, with PRSP strains having simultaneous alterations in
pbp2x and pbp2b.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Bacterial strains.
PRSP (n = 25) and PSSP
(n = 2) strains isolated from cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF), blood, nasopharynx, and sputum were used in this study. Clinical
isolates were collected between 1993 and 1997 by the Japanese Working
Group for PRSP (24). Details about these strains are
presented in Table 1. All strains were
grown at 37°C for 18 h on 5% sheep blood agar medium (Nippon
Becton Dickinson, Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) in a humidified atmosphere supplemented with 5% CO2.
Antibiotic susceptibility and serotyping.
The
susceptibilities of S. pneumoniae to penicillin and
cefotaxime were determined with cation-adjusted Mueller Hinton agar (Eiken Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) supplemented with 5% defibrinated sheep blood by the agar plate dilution method. Penicillin and cefotaxime were provided by Banyu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Japan
Luther Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, respectively. Isolates were serotyped
by the capsular swelling technique with antisera purchased from Statens
Serum Institute (Copenhagen, Denmark).
PBP assay.
S. pneumoniae PBPs were labeled as
described previously (28). Whole cells (109
cells per ml) suspended in 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) were incubated with [3H]benzylpenicillin for 10 min at 30°C;
this was followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis and fluorography. For competition assays, cells were
detected after preincubation with twofold-diluted nonradioactive
benzylpenicillin for 10 min, followed by incubation with
[3H]benzylpenicillin for a further 10 min. The relative
densities of the PBPs were measured with a dual-wavelength flying-spot
scanner (CS9000; Shimadzu Co., Kyoto, Japan) and were compared with the density of the PBP in the control sample with no antibiotics before exposure to the radiolabeled benzylpenicillin.
pbp1a sequencing.
The 1.3-kb DNA fragment
encoding the PBP 1A transpeptidase domain was amplified from the
chromosomal DNA of S. pneumoniae by PCR as reported
previously (25). One colony of S. pneumoniae grown on blood agar was picked and placed in 20 µl of lysis solution, and the mixture was incubated at 60°C for 10 min and then at 90°C for 5 min. Afterward, 1 µl of the lysate was added to 100 µl of a
PCR solution (10 µl of 10× PCR buffer, 8 µl of a mixture of deoxynucleoside triphosphates at a concentration of 2.5 mM each, 2.5 U
of Taq polymerase [Takara Biomedicals, Kyoto, Japan], 10 pmol of the sense primer
[5'-T1827GGGATGGATGTTTACACAAATG1849], and 10 pmol of the reverse primer
[5'-T3098GTGCTGGTTGATGAGGATTCTG3079]). PCR conditions were as follows: 30 cycles at 94°C for 30 s, 55°C for 30 s, and 72°C for 1 min. The PCR product was
electrophoresed on a 1.2% agarose gel to confirm the presence of the
product and was then purified with a Chroma Spin-100 Column (Clontech
Laboratories Inc., Palo Alto, Calif.) to prepare a sequencing template.
The sequencing reaction was conducted with a fmol DNA Cycle Sequencing
System Kit (Promega Co., Madison, Wis.) and 5' fluorescein
isothiocyanate-labeled primers.
The following primers were used for sequencing:
5'-A
1859AGCTCAAAAACATCTGTGGG
1880,
5'-A
2380GTAGTGAAAAAATGGCTGCTG
2400,
5'-C
2046TGGGGTTCTGCTATGAAACC
2067,
5'-T
2160ACTCCACTCTACAACTGG G
2179,
5'-T
2881TCGTATTTAAAAATGGTGCTCG
2903,
5'-G
2399CAGCCATTTTTTCACTACTTG
2377,
5'-G
2677TAGCTCCAGATGAAATGTTTG
2699,
5'- A
2392TGGCTGCTGCTTATGCTGCC
2412,
and
5'-C
2702CAACAAACATTTCATCTGGAGC
2680.
The reaction mixtures were placed in a thermal cycler and were
denatured at 95°C for 2 min; they were then subjected to 30
cycles at
95°C for 30 s, 48°C for 30 s, and 72°C for 30 s.
The
nucleotide sequences were determined with an SQ-3000 Hitachi
fluorescence
DNA sequencer (Hitachi Electronics Engineering Co., Ltd.,
Tokyo,
Japan).
PCR primers for studies with pbp2x and
pbp2b.
We previously reported on the use of the primers
described above for the detection of altered pbp2x and
pbp2b genes of S. pneumoniae isolates. The
primers were designed from the nucleotide sequences of various strains
isolated in Japan (26). These primers specifically amplified
parts of each gene of only susceptible strains. These parts of each
gene were positioned in blocks of highly diverged sequences in the
mosaic PBP genes of PRSP. The two set of primers were as follows:
5'-C1003CAGGTTCCACTATGAAAGTG1023 and
5'-C1294ATCCGTCAAACCGAAACGG1275 for
pbp2x and
5'-C1636AATCTAGAGTCTGCTATGGA1656 and
5'-G1712GTCAATTCCTGTCGCAGTA1693 for
pbp2b.
Nucleotide sequence accession numbers.
The nucleotide
sequences determined in this study will appear in the DDBJ, EMBL, and
GenBank nucleotide sequence databases with the following accession
numbers: AB006868 (strain 1/H23), AB006869 (strains 2/H26, 4/H29,
13/Z34, 18/B43, 19/B90, 21/B99, and 28/H0), AB006870 (strains
3/H28, 6/KU126, 15/Z12, and 16/Z13), AB006871 (strains 5/H31, 8/Z2,
11/Z20, and 12/Z21), AB006872 (strain 7/KK133), AB006873 (strain
9/Z17), AB006874 (strain 10/Z19), AB006875 (strain 14/Z42), AB006876
(strains 17/Z46, 20/B98, and 27/SHA3), AB006877 (strain 22/HA5),
AB006878 (strain 23/HSB21), and AB006879 (strains 24/TJ25 and
26/TJ29).
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RESULTS |
Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of pbp1a.
The nucleotide sequences of pbp1a between 1,903 and 3,097 bp
encoding the transpeptidase region of PBP 1A in 25 PRSP and 2 PSSP
strains were determined by the direct sequencing method. The nucleotide
and deduced amino acid sequences of representative strains are aligned
in Fig. 1 and
2, respectively, along with the
previously determined sequence of a susceptible strain (strain R6)
(19). The regions of the nucleotide sequence in PRSP
differing by 6.7% or more from those in PSSP R6 are referred to as
"resistance blocks." Figure 3
provides a schematic illustration of the mosaic structures of
pbp1a.

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FIG. 1.
Nucleotide sequences of part of the pbp1a
genes from representative PRSP strains. The sequence of the
pbp1a gene of PSSP R6 is shown at the top. Numbering is
based on published data for strain R6 (19). Only nucleotides
differing from those in the R6 sequence are shown. Asterisks indicate
the deletion of nucleotides.
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FIG. 2.
Deduced amino acid sequence of part of PBP 1A of the
strains listed in Fig. 1. Only amino acids differing from the R6 amino
acid sequence are shown. Boxes indicate conserved amino acid
sequences.
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FIG. 3.
Mosaic structure of pbp1a genes from PRSP.
Regions of the sequence coding for conserved amino acid sequences are
marked. Shading indicates blocks where the sequences differ from that
for the PSSP R6 strain (white area) by 6% or more, i.e., blocks a to
e. Groups are as follows: group I, strains 5/H31, 8/Z2, 11/Z20, 12/Z21,
and variant 22/HA5; group II, strains 17/Z46, 20/B98, and 27/SHA3;
group III, strains 2/H26, 4/H29, 13/Z34, 18/B43, 19/B90, 21/B99, 28/H0,
3/H28, 6/KU126, 15/Z12, 16/Z13, and variant 7/KK133; group IV, strains
14/Z42; group V, strains 23/HSB21, 24/TJ25, 26/TJ29, and variant
9/Z17.
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The sequences of two PSSP strains (strains 1/H23 and 10/Z19) differed
from that of strain R6 by only five and eight nucleotides,
respectively, resulting in only two and three amino acid substitutions,
respectively.
Twenty-five PRSP strains were classified into five groups on the basis
of differences in the mosaic
pbp1a sequence (Table
1).
Group I consisted of five strains (strains 5/H31, 8/Z2, 11/Z20, 12/Z21,
and 22/HA5), all of which were serotype 6. The penicillin
and
cefotaxime MICs for all strains except strain 22/HA5 were
1 to 2 and
0.5 to 1 µg/ml, respectively. The DNA sequences of
four of the
strains (all group I strains except strain 22/HA5)
were highly
homologous to that of the serotype 6B strains reported
by Martin et al.
(
18), differing by only one to five nucleotides.
The
sequence from 1,904 to 2919 bp in these strains was named
resistance
block a. In this block, Thr-371 in the conserved amino
acid sequence
STMK (codons 370 to 373), which is considered the

-lactam binding
site, was replaced by Ala in four of the strains
(all group I strains
except strain 22/HA5). The entire transpeptidase
region of strain
22/HA5 resembled that in group I strains, differing
by 8% of its
nucleotides and 3% of its amino acids, but the substitution
of Thr-371
was not found. The DNA sequence between 2,418 and 2,637
bp contained a
part of the sequence (block c') of group III strains.
No difference in
the nucleotide sequences of the
pbp1a genes of
strains
5/H31, 8/Z2, 11/Z20, and 12/Z21 was detected.
Group II consisted of three strains (strains 17/Z46, 20/B98, and
27/SHA3) in which parts of resistance block a were replaced
by
resistance blocks b (2,418 to 2,655 bp) and b' (2,904 to 2,944
bp).
Their nucleotide sequences were identical, and all three
strains were
serotype 19. The strains were almost identical, with
99.7% nucleotide
sequence homology and 100% amino acid sequence
homology to serotype
23F strains, the sequences of which were
reported by Martin et al.
(
18). All strains showed an amino
acid substitution of
Thr-371 to Ala in the conserved amino acid
sequence STMK.
Group III consisted of 12 strains (strains 2/H26, 3/H28, 4/H29,
6/KU126, 7/KK133, 13/Z34, 15/Z12, 16/Z13, 18/B43, 19/B90,
21/B99, and
28/H0). The DNA sequence between 1,996 and 2,211 bp
was named block c,
and that between 2,349 and 2,665 bp was named
block c'. Parts of block
a were replaced by blocks c and c' in
11 strains but not in strain
7/KK133. The nucleotide sequences
of these strains were highly
homologous to the sequences of two
PRSP strains isolated in the United
States (
3). Strain 7/KK133
was thought to be a variant of
this group; the sequence between
1,904 and 1,995 bp was identical to
that of PSSP R6, while the
downstream region was the same as those of
group III strains.
In all group III strains, the Thr-371 in the STMK
motif was changed
to Ser. Between seven strains (strains 2/H26, 4/H29,
13/Z34, 18/B43,
19/B90, 21/B99, and 28/H0) and four strains (strains
3/H28, 6/KU126,
15/Z12, and 16/Z13), there were only two nucleotide
differences
in the downstream region, far from the KTG motif. Group III
strains
showed variable serotypes: serotypes 6 (
n = 2),
14 (
n = 1), 19
(
n = 5), and 23 (
n = 4).
Group IV consisted of strain 14/Z42 (serotype 14), which had
alterations in the DNA sequence within the region upstream from
STMK,
but these alterations resulted in only two amino acid substitutions.
Thr-371 was replaced by Ser. The sequence between 2,037 and 2,211
bp
was similar to that of resistance block c, and that between
2,211 and
2,790 bp was similar to that of block a. A unique region
named block d
occurred between 2,791 and 3,075 bp, and this region
was not observed
in any other group. The most downstream region
in particular showed a
deletion of 12 nucleotides between 3,019
and 3,030 bp, insertions of 6 nucleotides between 3,045 and 3,046
bp, and insertions of 12 nucleotides between 3,072 and 3,073 bp.
Group V consisted of four strains (strains 9/Z17, 23/HSB21, 24/TJ25,
and 26/TJ29) of serotypes 6 and 23. Group V strains had
fewer mutations
than the strains in the four other groups. Compared
to PSSP R6, these
strains had 19 to 21 amino acid changes that
were concentrated in the
region from 2,566 to 2,799 bp. In strain
9/Z17, the sequence in the
region that includes the STMK motif
was replaced by block e (1,932 to
2,058 bp). A Thr-371-to-Ser
substitution was detected only in strain
9/Z17, and was not detected
in the remaining three strains.
Thr-371 substitution and penicillin resistance.
Table 1
presents the 25 PRSP strains as classified into five groups and the
MICs of penicillin and cefotaxime for the strains. Table 1 also
indicates whether substitutions at the conserved STMK motif, together
with the altered pbp2x and pbp2b genes, are present.
Strains with altered
pbp2x and
pbp2b genes and in
which Thr-371 was substituted by Ala or Ser in the PBP 1A STMK motif
(
n = 18) were penicillin resistant (MICs,

1.0
µg/ml). For four strains
(strains 22/HA5, 23/HSB21, 24/TJ25, and
26/TJ29) with alterations
in both the
pbp2x and
pbp2b genes but not in the
pbp1a STMK motif,
penicillin MICs were 0.125 to 0.25 µg/ml. For strains 14/Z42,
15/Z12,
and 19/B90, which had unaltered
pbp2b genes but altered
pbp2x genes and a Thr-371-to-Ser substitution in PBP 1A,
penicillin
MICs were 0.125 to 0.25 µg/ml.
PBP 1A affinity to penicillin.
We assayed PBP profiles using
[3H]benzylpenicillin (Fig.
4). The PBPs 1A of four strains without a
substitution at Thr-371 were shown to have the same affinity as the PBP
1A of PSSP 10/Z19, while PBP 1A of 22/HA5 showed slightly faster
mobility on SDS-polyacrylamide gels, probably because of its many amino
acid substitutions typical of group I strains. PBPs 1A from all strains
with a Thr-371-to-Ser or a Thr-371-to-Ala substitution showed decreased
affinities for [3H]benzylpenicillin, and most had faster
mobilities on SDS-polyacrylamide gels.

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FIG. 4.
PBP profiles of S. pneumoniae strains. Whole
cells (109 cells per ml) suspended in 50 mM phosphate
buffer (pH 7.0) were labeled with [3H]benzylpenicillin
for 10 min at 30°C and were then subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis and fluorography (25). The results of PCR
detection of altered pbp2x and pbp2b genes (+,
altered; , not altered) and substitution of Thr-371 in PBP 1A are
listed below the gel. Penicillin MICs are as follows: for 10/Z19, 0.031 µg/ml; for 22/HA5, 0.25 µg/ml; for 23/HSB21, 0.125 µg/ml; for
24/TJ25, 0.25 µg/ml; for 26/TJ29, 0.25 µg/ml; for 19/B80, 0.25 µg/ml; for 15/Z12, 0.125 µg/ml; for 7/KK133, 2.0 µg/ml; for
6/KU126, 2.0 µg/ml; for 13/Z34, 2.0 µg/ml; for 27/SHA3, 4.0 µg/ml; for 12/Z21, 2.0 µg/ml. "2A" is 2A/2X.
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Comparison of the affinity kinetics of the PBPs 1A of strains 22/HA5
and 5/H31 showed that the PBP 1A of strain 22/HA5, which
did not have a
substitution at Thr-371, had a higher affinity
for penicillin at a
significantly lower penicillin concentration
than that for the PBP 1A
of strain 5/H31, which did have a substitution
at Thr-371 (Fig.
5).

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FIG. 5.
Competition assays of penicillin for PBPs 1A of strains
22/HA5 ( ) and 5/H31 ( ). Strains 22/HA5 without a substitution at
Thr-371 (MIC, 0.25 µg/ml) and 5/H31 with a substitution at Thr-371
(MIC, 2.0 µg/ml) were compared. PBPs were detected with
[3H]benzylpenicillin after preincubation of the cells
with various concentrations of penicillin. Relative PBP density was
calculated against the PBP density for the control sample that was not
exposed to penicillin.
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DISCUSSION |
PSSP strains usually have six PBPs: high-molecular-mass PBPs 1A,
1B, 2A, 2X, and 2B and low-molecular-mass PBP 3. High-molecular-mass PBPs are supposed to have transpeptidase activity and may contain a
transglycosylase region, based on homology to Escherichia
coli PBPs. The pbp1a, pbp2x, and
pbp2b genes are involved in penicillin resistance in
S. pneumoniae (11-13, 17). The addition of an
altered pbp1a to altered pbp2x or
pbp2b and to altered pbp2x and pbp2b has been reported to increase the level of penicillin resistance (20, 26). The DNA sequences of these three PBP genes in PRSP have already been determined (6, 7, 16, 18, 23, 29). The
genes conferring resistance in PRSP have a mosaic structure, in which
parts of genes are replaced by genes from other sources, probably via
gene transfer (2, 5, 9, 16, 18).
Conserved amino acid sequences SXXK with active-site serine, SXN, and
K(H)T(S)G motifs are important to the transpeptidase activity and are
believed to be located at the active-site cavity. If one or more amino
acids in conserved motifs or adjacent amino acids are substituted by
other amino acids,
-lactams may not be able to bind efficiently to
the PBP, resulting in the development of resistance.
In this study we demonstrated that strains with a Thr-371 substitution
in a conserved STMK motif in PBP 1A, in addition to altered
pbp2x and pbp2b genes, had high levels of
penicillin resistance (MICs,
1 µg/ml). For strains with a Thr-371
substitution in PBP 1A and an alteration in the pbp2x gene
but with no pbp2b gene alteration, penicillin MICs were
0.125 to 0.25 µg/ml. On the other hand, for strains with altered
pbp2x and pbp2b genes but no Thr-371 substitution, penicillin MICs were 0.25 µg/ml. All strains of PRSP
examined had pbp2x alterations.
The penicillin-binding domain in the PBPs is defined as a polypeptide
stretch that starts 60 residues or fewer upstream of the Ser of the
conserved SXXK motif and that terminates 60 residues or fewer
downstream of the Lys (His) of the conserved K(H)T(S)G motif
(15). The PBPs 1A of all strains with a Thr-371 substitution had a decreased affinity for penicillin, and the PBPs 1A of four strains without this substitution had normal affinities for penicillin; the penicillin MICs for the strains were 0.125 to 0.25 µg/ml. These
results support the assumption that the substitution plays an important
role in the development of penicillin resistance. However, six amino
acid differences other than Thr-371 are observed in the
penicillin-binding domain of PBPs 1A in strains 5/H31 and 22/HA5
strains; thus, it is possible that various substitutions other than
Thr-371 in the transpeptidase region of PBP 1A may be involved in
penicillin resistance. Garcia-Bustos and Tomasz (10) have
shown that PRSP strains produce cell walls with profoundly altered
chemical compositions. It is possible that a substitution of Thr-371
adjacent to the active-site serine may change the three-dimensional structure of the transpeptidase domain and alter enzymatic activity for
peptidoglycan synthesis. However, this possibility will have to be
clarified in future investigations.
In Japan, PRSP strains were first isolated in CSF from children with
meningitis in 1988, and the proportion of S. pneumoniae strains that are resistant to penicillin has recently increased to 40%
(27). The nucleotide sequences of pbp1a genes
from strains in groups I and II were highly homologous to those of
certain PRSP strains isolated in South Africa and Spain between 1978 and 1988. The sequences of the pbp1a genes from strains in
group III were highly homologous to those from PRSP strains isolated in the United States in 1991. This suggests that PRSP strains of similar
origins may have been introduced in Japan and gradually spread. The
variability of the mosaic structures in pbp1a also suggests
that the recombination event mediated by gene transfer has occurred
frequently in response to antibacterial pressure.
PBP genes have been reported to be easily transformed in vitro (1,
14, 22), and horizontal transfer of capsular biosynthesis genes
has occurred (4). We recognized different serotypes for strains whose pbp1a gene sequences were identical (group III
and IV strains) and found that the pbp1a gene sequences of
members of group II of serotype 19 were almost identical to those of
some serotype 23F strains previously described in South Africa and Spain. Our findings may suggest the probability of the horizontal transfer of either PBP genes or capsular genes. In conclusion, under
the pressure of frequent antibiotic usage, alterations in three genes,
pbp2x, pbp2b, and pbp1a, of PRSP have
occurred. The highly resistant PRSP strains had pbp1a
alterations that resulted in a Thr-371 substitution to alanine or
serine, in addition to the simultaneous alterations in the
pbp2x and pbp2b genes.
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FOOTNOTES |
*
Corresponding author. Present address: Yasuko Asahi,
Pharmaceutical Research Center, Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., 760 Morooka-cho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 222-8567, Japan. Phone:
81-45-545-3106. Fax: 81-45-545-3193. E-mail:
yasuko_asahi{at}meiji.co.jp.
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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 1998, p. 2267-2273, Vol. 42, No. 9
0066-4804/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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