Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular epidemiology of two genes encoding 3-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferases AAC(3)I and AAC(3)II among gram-negative bacteria from a Spanish Hospital

  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The molecular epidemiology of the aacC1 and aacC2 genes, encoding 3-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferases AAC(3)I and AAC(3)II, respectively, was studied by DNA-DNA hybridization. The sample included 315 gentamicin-resistant Gram-negative bacilli collected over a six-month period from patients attending a Spanish Hospital. The aminoglycoside resistance phenotype of these strains was also determined. The aacC1 probe hybridized with 39 strains, the aacC2 probe with 146 strains and both probes hybridized with 26 strains. The aacC1 gene was most frequently detected in Pseudomonas aeruginosa whereas the aacC2 gene was most frequently detected in enterobacteria and Acinetobacter spp. Strains harbouring aacC genes were isolated from both in-and outpatients with different infectious diseases, mainly urinary tract infections. As inferred from the results of Southern hybridization, both genes showed a wide horizontal dispersion among plasmids and bacteria.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. AlvarezM. and MendozaM.C. (1992): Epidemiologycal survey of genes encoding aminoglycoside phosphotransferases APH(3')I and APH(3')II using DNA probes - J. Chemother. 4:203–210.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Alvarez M., Mendez F.J. and Mendoza M.C. (1993): Dissemination of the ANT(2")-gene encoding an aminoglycoside modifying enzyme among Gram negative bacteria from a hospital - J. Chemother. 5, Suppl. (in press).

  3. AllmansbergerR., BräuB. and PiepersbergW. (1985): Genes for gentamicin-(3)-N-acetyltransferases III and IV. II. Nucleotide sequences of three AAC(3)III genes and evolutionary aspects - Mol. Gen. Genet. 198: 514–520.

    Google Scholar 

  4. BargN.L. (1988): Construction of a probe for the aminoglycoside 3-V-acetyltransferase gene and detection of the gene among endemic clinical isolates - Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 32: 1834–1838.

    Google Scholar 

  5. BlancoM.G., MendozaM.C. and HardissonC. (1983): Prevalence of aminocyclitol-aminoglycoside modifying enzymes in Gram-negative bacteria -Chemioterapia Vol. 2, Suppl 5: 83–84.

    Google Scholar 

  6. CourvalinP. (1991): Genotypic approach to the study of bacterial resistance to antibiotics - Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 35: 1019–1023.

    Google Scholar 

  7. DaviesJ. (1983): Resistance to aminoglycosides: mechanisms and frequency - Rev. Infect. Dis. 5: 5261–266.

    Google Scholar 

  8. European Study Group on Antibiotic Resistance (1987): In vitro susceptibility to aminoglycoside antibiotics in blood and urine isolates consecutively collected in twenty-nine European laboratories - Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. 6: 379–385.

    Google Scholar 

  9. GootzT.D., TenoverF.C., YoungS.A., GordonK.P. and PlordeJ.J. (1985): Comparison of three DNA hybridization methods for detection of the aminoglycoside 2“-O-adenylyltransferase gene in clinical bacterial isolates - Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 28: 69–73.

    Google Scholar 

  10. HaasM.J. and DowdingJ.E. (1975): Aminoglycoside modifying enzymes - In Meth. Enzymol. 43: 611–628.

    Google Scholar 

  11. HalbertD.N. (1988): Probes for the the detection of antibiotic resistance genes - Clin. Microbiol. Newslett. 10: 25–33.

    Google Scholar 

  12. LambertT., GerbaudG., BouvetP., VieuJ.F. and CourvalinP. (1990): Dissemination of amikacin resistance gene aphA-6 in Acinetobacter spp. -Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34: 1244–1248.

    Google Scholar 

  13. LennetteE., BalowsA., HauslerJr.W.A. and ShadomyH.J. (1985): Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 4th ed. American Society for Microbiology - Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  14. LoveringA.M., WhiteL.O. and ReevesD.S. (1984): Identification of aminoglycoside-acetylating enzymes by high-pressure liquid chromatographic determination of their reaction products -Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 26: 10–16.

    Google Scholar 

  15. MartinC., Gomez-LusR., OrtizJ.M. and Garcia-LoboJ.M. (1987): Structure and mobilization of an ampicillin and gentamicin resistance determinant -Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 31: 1266–1270.

    Google Scholar 

  16. MendozaM.C., BlancoM.G., MendezF.J. and HardissonC. (1984): Evolution de la resistance aux aminosides chez des souches hospitalieres de Serratia - Pathol. Biol. 32: 350–354.

    Google Scholar 

  17. MendozaM.C., MayoB. and HardissonC. (1985): Evidence for the dispersion and evolution of R-plasmids from Serratia in a hospital - J. Hosp. Infect. 6: 147–153

    Google Scholar 

  18. MillerG.H., SabatelliF.J., HareR.S. and WaitzJ.A. (1980): Survey of aminoglycoside resistance patterns -Develop. Industr. Microbiol. 21: 91–104.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Nordic Council on Medicines (1985): Nordic Statistics on Medicines 1981–1983. Part II: Nordic Drug Index with Classification and Defined Daily Doses -Uppsala, Sweden.

  20. OunissiH., DerlotE., CarlierC. and CourvalinP. (1990): Gene homogeneity for aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes in Gram-positive cocci -Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34: 2164–2168.

    Google Scholar 

  21. RubensC.E., McNeillW.F. and FarrarW.F.Jr. (1979): Evolution of multiple-antibiotic-resistance plasmids mediated by transposable plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid sequences - J. Bacteriol. 140: 713–719.

    Google Scholar 

  22. SambrookJ., FritschE.F. and ManiatisT. (1989): Molecular Cloning: a Laboratory Manual (Second edition) - Cold Spring HarborLaboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. U.S.A.

    Google Scholar 

  23. ShawK.J., HareR.S., SabatelliF.J., RizzoM., CramerC.A., NaplesL., KocsiS., MunayyerH., MannP., MillerG.H., VerbistL., vanLanduytH., GlupczynskiY., CatalanoM. and WolojM. (1991): Correlation between aminoglycoside resistance profiles and DNA hybridization of clinical isolates - Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 35: 2253–2261.

    Google Scholar 

  24. ShimizuK., KumadaT., HsiehW.C., ChongH.E., ChongY., HareR.S., MillerG.H., SabatelliF.J. and HowardJ. (1985): Comparison of aminoglycoside resistance patterns in Japan, Formosa, and Korea, Chile, and the United States - Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 28: 282–288.

    Google Scholar 

  25. TenoverF.C. (1986): Studies of antimicrobial resistance genes using DNA probes - Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 33: 551–559.

    Google Scholar 

  26. TenoverF.C., PhillipsK.L., GilbertT., LockhartP., O'HaraP.J. and PlordeJ.J. (1989): Development of a DNA probe from the deoxyribonucleotide sequence of a 3-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase (AAC(3)I) resistance gene - Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 33: 551–559.

    Google Scholar 

  27. TeránF.J., AlvarezM., SuarezJ.E. and MendozaM.C. (1991): Characterization of two aminoglycoside-(3)N-acetyltransferase genes and assay as epidemiological probes - J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 28: 333–346.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Van deKlundertJ.A.M., VliegenthartJ.S., VanDoornE., BongaertsG.P.A., MolendijkL. and MoutonR.P. (1984): A simple method for the identification of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes - J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 14: 339–348.

    Google Scholar 

  29. VliegenthartJ.S., Ketelaar-van GaalenP.A.G. and van deKlundertJ.A.M. (1989): Nucleotide sequence of the aacC2 gene, a gentamicin resistance determinant involved in a hospital epidemic of multiply resistant members of the family Enterobacteriaceae -Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 33: 1153–1159.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Area de Microbiología - Departamento de Biología Funcional, Universidad de Oviedo, Julián Clavería s/n., 33006, Oviedo, Spain

    M. Alvarez & M. C. Mendoza

Authors
  1. M. Alvarez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. C. Mendoza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Corresponding author.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alvarez, M., Mendoza, M.C. Molecular epidemiology of two genes encoding 3-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferases AAC(3)I and AAC(3)II among gram-negative bacteria from a Spanish Hospital. Eur J Epidemiol 9, 650–657 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00211441

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00211441

Key words

Search

Navigation