Skip to main content
Log in

Tn2610, a transposon involved in the spread of the carbenicillin-hydrolyzing β-lactamase gene

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We have found a new transposon, Tn2610, on pCS200 in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, which encodes the carbenicillin-hydrolyzing β-lactamase gene in combination with the resistance determinants to streptomycin and sulfonamide. Tn2610 has a molecular size of 24 kilobase pairs and is flanked by long inverted repeat sequences of 3 kilobase pairs in length. Genetical and physical analyses indicate that Tn2610 is a single transposable unit encoding the multiple resistance determinants and that is different from any previously described transposon. The characteristic DNA structure observed in various complex resistance transposons involved in the transposition of the carbenicillin-hydrolyzing β-lactamase gene is discussed.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alton NK, Vapnek D (1979) Nucleotide sequence analysis of the chloramphenicol resistance transposon Tn9. Nature 282:864–869

    Google Scholar 

  • Andreoli P, Overbeeke N, Veltkam E, van Embden J, Nijkamp H (1978) Genetic map of the bacteriocinogenic plasmid CLODF13 derived by insertion of the transposon Tn901. Mol Gen Genet 160:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Benedict M, Fennewald M, Shapiro J (1977) Transposition of betalactamase locus from RP1 into Pseudomonas putida derivative plasmid. J Bacteriol 129:809–814

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett PM, Richmond MH (1976) The translocation of discrete piece of DNA carrying an amp gene between replicons in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 126:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang ACY, Cohen SN (1978) Construction and characterization of amplifiable multicopy DNA cloning vehicles derived from the P15A cryptic miniplasmid. J Bacteriol 134:1141–1156

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen SN (1976) Transposable genetic elements and plasmid evolution. Nature 263:731–738

    Google Scholar 

  • Datta N, Hedges RW (1972) Trimethoprim resistance conferred by W plasmid in Enterobacteriacea. J Gen Microbiol 72:349–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster TJ, Davis MA, Roberts DE, Takeshita K, Kleckner N (1981) Genetic organization of transposon Tn10. Cell 23:201–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedges RW, Jacob AE (1974) Transposition of ampicillin resistance from RP4 to other replicons. Mol Gen Genet 132:31–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedges RW, Matthew M (1979) Acquisition by Escherichia coli of plasmid-borne β-lactamases normally confined to Pseudomonas spp. Plasmid 2:269–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Heffron F, Bedinger P, Chanmpoux JJ, Falkow S (1977) Deletions affecting the transposition of an antibiotic resistance gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 69:702–706

    Google Scholar 

  • Heffron F, Sublett R, Hedges RW, Jacob A, Falkow S (1975) Origin of the TEM beta-lactamase gene found on plasmids. J Bacteriol 122:250–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsu K, Inoue M, Mitsuhasi S (1982) Transposition of the carbenicillin-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase gene. J Bacteriol 150: 483–489

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleckner N (1981) Transposable elements in prokaryotes. Ann Rev Genet 15:341–404

    Google Scholar 

  • Kopecko DJ (1980) Specialized genetic recombination systems in bacteria: Their involvement in gene expression and evolution. In: Hahn F (ed), Progress in molecular and subcellular biology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp 135–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthew M (1979) Plasmid-mediated β-lactamases of Gram-negative bacteria: properties and distribution. J Antimicrobial Chemother 5:349–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Medeiros AA, Heges RW, Jacoby GA (1982) Spread of “Pseudomonas-specific” β-lactamase to plasmids of enterobacteria. J Bacteriol 149:700–707

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura Y, Caro L, Berg CM, Hirota Y (1971) Chromosome replication in Escherichia coli IV Control of chromosome replication and all division by an integrated episome. J Mol Biol 55:441–456

    Google Scholar 

  • Perret CJ (1954) Iodometric assay of penicillinase. Nature 174:1012–1013

    Google Scholar 

  • Richmond MH, Bennett PM, Choi CL, Brown N, Brunton J, Grinsted J, Wallace L (1980) The genetic basis of the spread of β-lactamase synthesis among plasmid-carrying bacteria. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 289:349–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothstein SJ, Jorgensen RA, Postle K, Rezinikoff WS (1980) The inverted repeats of Tn5 are functionally different. Cell 19:795–805

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka M, Harafuji H, Yamamoto T (1982) A gene and its product required for transposition of resistance transposon Tn2603. J Bacteriol 151:723–728

    Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe T, Furuse C, Sakaizumi S (1968) Transduction of various R factors by phage P1 in Escherichia coli and by phage P22 in Salmonella typhimurium. J Bacteriol 9:1791–1795

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamada Y, Calame KL, Grindley N, Nakada D (1979) Location of an ampicillin resistance transposon Tn1701 in a group of small, non-transferring plasmids. J Bacteriol 137:990–999

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto T, Katoh R, Shimazu A, Yamagishi S (1980) Gene expression of ampicillin resistance transposon, Tn2601 and Tn2602. Microbiol Immunol 24:479–494

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto T, Tanaka M, Baba R, Yamagishi S (1981a) Physical and functional mapping of Tn2603, a transposon encoding ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfonamide, and mercury resistance. Mol Gen Genet 181:464–469

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto T, Tanaka M, Nohara C, Fukunaga Y, Yamagishi S (1981b) Transposition of oxacillin-hydrolyzing penicillinase gene. J Bacteriol 145:808–813

    Google Scholar 

  • Yun T, Vapnek D (1977) Structure and location of antibiotic resistance determinants in bacteriophage P1Cm and P7 (ϕamp). In: Bukhari A, Shapiro JA, Adhya S (eds) DNA insertion elements, plasmids, and episomes. Cold Spring Harbor Press, Cold Spring Harbor NY, pp 229–234

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by F. Kaudewitz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yamamoto, T., Watanabe, M., Matsumoto, K. et al. Tn2610, a transposon involved in the spread of the carbenicillin-hydrolyzing β-lactamase gene. Molec Gen Genet 189, 282–288 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337818

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337818

Keywords

Navigation