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Introduction of an AmpR-L2 intergenic segment attenuates the induced β-lactamase activity of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

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Abstract

Expression of the L1 and L2 β-lactamase genes is generally regulated by a LysR type regulator of the AmpR in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The ampR gene is located immediately upstream of L2 and is transcribed divergently, forming an ampR-L2 module. The ampR-L2 modules of 16 S. maltophilia isolates were analyzed, revealing that the ampR-L2 intergenic (IG) regions show a significant genetic diversity, whereas AmpR proteins are highly conserved. The induction potential of the different AmpR toward the different ampR-L2 IG regions was evaluated by introducing the various IG-xylE transcriptional fusion constructs into a wild S. maltophilia strain. The induction levels achieved in the various AmpR-IG pairs display quantitative differences; meanwhile, the host β-lactamase activity, in some cases, is attenuated by the introduced IG segment. Similar β-lactamase attenuation phenomenon was observed in Enterobacter cloacae with an ampR-L2 IG segment of S. maltophilia. A concept of oligonucleotides attenuator for the development of an antimicrobial agent is proposed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grant NSC 98-2320-B-039-011-MY3 from the National Science Council and grant CMU98-S-33 from China Medical University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China

    Y.-C. Chang & T.-C. Chung

  2. Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Rd., Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China

    Y.-C. Chang, K.-H. Chiang & T.-C. Yang

  3. Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China

    Y.-W. Huang & T.-C. Chung

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  1. Y.-C. Chang
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  2. Y.-W. Huang
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  3. K.-H. Chiang
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  4. T.-C. Yang
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  5. T.-C. Chung
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Correspondence to T.-C. Yang.

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Chang, YC., Huang, YW., Chiang, KH. et al. Introduction of an AmpR-L2 intergenic segment attenuates the induced β-lactamase activity of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia . Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 29, 887–890 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-010-0924-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-010-0924-0

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