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A transposon, Tn732, encoding gentamicin/tobramycin resistance

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Abstract

Gentamicin and tobramycin are important antibiotics in the treatment of hospital infections because of their activity against a wide range of bacterial genera. With their increasing use, bacteria resistant to these drugs have appeared, the resistance being frequently plasmid determined 1–4. The resistance genes determine various enzymes that modify and inactivate the drugs5 and there is association between particular gentamicin/tobramycin resistance genes and plasmids of particular groups6,7, implying that acquisition of such a gene by any plasmid is a rare event4. We now report the identification of a transposon or ‘jumping gene’ encoding the gentamicin/tobramycin adenylylating enzyme, ANT(2″), on a plasmid of incompatiblity group FII (IncFII).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bacteriology Department, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12, UK

    Marilyn E. Nugent, David H. Bone & Naomi Datta

Authors
  1. Marilyn E. Nugent
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  2. David H. Bone
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  3. Naomi Datta
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Nugent, M., Bone, D. & Datta, N. A transposon, Tn732, encoding gentamicin/tobramycin resistance. Nature 282, 422–423 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282422a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/282422a0

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