Skip to main content
Log in

Tn4001: A gentamicin and kanamycin resistance transposon in Staphylococcus aureus

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

Summary

We describe a 4.5 kilobase transposon. Tn4001, which mediates resistance to gentamicin, tobramycin and kanamycin in Staphylococcus aureus. Originally detected in plasmid pSK1, Tn4001 was shown to undergo rec-independent transposition to the chromosome from this plasmid and from an inserted derivative of the plasmid pII147. Heteroduplexes between plasmids with and without Tn4001 demonstrated a characteristic stem and loop structure with inverted repeats of approx. 1.3 kilobases.

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.

References

  • Cohen ML, Wong ES, Falkow S (1982) Common R-plasmids in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis during a noscocomial Staphylococcus aureus outbreak. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 21:210–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen S, Sweeney HM (1968) Constitutive penicillinase formation in Staphylococcus aureus owing to a mutation unlinked to the penicillinase plasmid. J Bacteriol 95:1368–1374

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis RE, Simon M, Davidson N (1971) Electron microscope heteroduplex methods for mapping regions of base sequence homology in nucleic acids. In: Grossman L, Moldave K (eds) Methods in enzymology, vol 21D. Academic Press, New York, p 413

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray GS, Huang RT-S, Davies J (1983) Aminocyclitol resistance in Staphylococcus aureus: presence of plasmids and aminocyclitol-modifying enzymes. Plasmid 9:147–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Horinouchi S, Weisblum B (1982) Nucleotide sequence and functional map of pC194, a plasmid that specifies inducible chloramphenicol resistance. J Bacteriol 150:815–825

    Google Scholar 

  • Iordanescu S, Surdeanu M (1976) Two restriction and modification systems in Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8325. J Gen Microbiol 96:277–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaffe HW, Sweeney HM, Weinstein RA, Kabins SA, Nathan C, Cohen S (1982) Structural and phenotypic varieties of gentamicin resistance plasmids in hospital strains of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 21:773–779

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyon BR, May JW, Skurray RA (1983) Analysis of plasmids in nosocomial strains of multiple-antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 23:817–826

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyon BR, Iuorio JL, May JW, Skurray RA (1984) Molecular epidemiology of multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus in Australian hospitals. J Med Microbiol. vol 17, in press

  • McDonnell RW, Sweeney HM, Cohen S (1983) Conjugational transfer of gentamicin resistance plasmids intra- and interspecifically in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 23:151–160

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Novick RP, Edelman I, Schwesinger MD, Gruss AD, Swanson EC, Pattee PA (1979a) Genetic translocation in Staphylococcus aureus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:400–404

    Google Scholar 

  • Novick RP, Edelman I, Della Latta P, Swanson EC, Pattee PA (1979b) Translocatable elements in Staphylococcus aureus. Contr Microbiol Immunol 6:41–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Shalita Z, Murphy E, Novick RP (1980) Penicillinase plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus: structural and evolutionary relationships. Plasmid 3:291–311

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by W. Arber

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lyon, B.R., May, J.W. & Skurray, R.A. Tn4001: A gentamicin and kanamycin resistance transposon in Staphylococcus aureus . Molec. Gen. Genet. 193, 554–556 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382099

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382099

Keywords

Navigation