Biomaterial Database

Origin and evolution of the AmpC beta-lactamases of Citrobacter freundii. 2002

Miriam Barlow, and Barry G Hall

Biology Department, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.

To determine whether the widespread clinical use of beta-lactams has been selective for Citrobacter freundii-derived alleles of plasmid ampC genes, we generated a Bayesian consensus phylogeny of the published ampC sequences and compared the MICs of 16 beta-lactam antibiotics for Escherichia coli strains containing cloned copies of the C. freundii ampC alleles. We found that for the majority of compounds investigated, there has been essentially no increase in beta-lactam resistance conferred by those alleles. We also found that ampC alleles from the chromosomes of two beta-lactam-sensitive C. freundii strains isolated in the 1920s, before the clinical use of antibiotics, were as effective at providing beta-lactam resistance in E. coli as were the plasmid-borne alleles from beta-lactam-resistant clinical isolates. These results suggest that selection for increased resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics has not been a significant force directing the evolution of the C. freundii ampC alleles found in beta-lactam-resistant clinical isolates.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008826	Microbial Sensitivity Tests	Any tests that demonstrate the relative efficacy of different chemotherapeutic agents against specific microorganisms (i.e., bacteria, fungi, viruses).	Bacterial Sensitivity Tests,Drug Sensitivity Assay, Microbial,Minimum Inhibitory Concentration,Antibacterial Susceptibility Breakpoint Determination,Antibiogram,Antimicrobial Susceptibility Breakpoint Determination,Bacterial Sensitivity Test,Breakpoint Determination, Antibacterial Susceptibility,Breakpoint Determination, Antimicrobial Susceptibility,Fungal Drug Sensitivity Tests,Fungus Drug Sensitivity Tests,Sensitivity Test, Bacterial,Sensitivity Tests, Bacterial,Test, Bacterial Sensitivity,Tests, Bacterial Sensitivity,Viral Drug Sensitivity Tests,Virus Drug Sensitivity Tests,Antibiograms,Concentration, Minimum Inhibitory,Concentrations, Minimum Inhibitory,Inhibitory Concentration, Minimum,Inhibitory Concentrations, Minimum,Microbial Sensitivity Test,Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations,Sensitivity Test, Microbial,Sensitivity Tests, Microbial,Test, Microbial Sensitivity,Tests, Microbial Sensitivity
D010641	Phenotype	The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment.	Phenotypes
D010957	Plasmids	Extrachromosomal, usually CIRCULAR DNA molecules that are self-replicating and transferable from one organism to another. They are found in a variety of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, algal, and plant species. They are used in GENETIC ENGINEERING as CLONING VECTORS.	Episomes,Episome,Plasmid
D002876	Chromosomes, Bacterial	Structures within the nucleus of bacterial cells consisting of or containing DNA, which carry genetic information essential to the cell.	Bacterial Chromosome,Bacterial Chromosomes,Chromosome, Bacterial
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001426	Bacterial Proteins	Proteins found in any species of bacterium.	Bacterial Gene Products,Bacterial Gene Proteins,Gene Products, Bacterial,Bacterial Gene Product,Bacterial Gene Protein,Bacterial Protein,Gene Product, Bacterial,Gene Protein, Bacterial,Gene Proteins, Bacterial,Protein, Bacterial,Proteins, Bacterial
D001618	beta-Lactamases	Enzymes found in many bacteria which catalyze the hydrolysis of the amide bond in the beta-lactam ring. Well known antibiotics destroyed by these enzymes are penicillins and cephalosporins.	beta-Lactamase,beta Lactamase,beta Lactamases
D016971	Citrobacter freundii	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria found in humans and other animals including MAMMALS; BIRDS; REPTILES; and AMPHIBIANS. It has also been isolated from SOIL and WATER as well as from clinical specimens such as URINE; THROAT; SPUTUM; BLOOD; and wound swabs as an opportunistic pathogen.	Bacterium freundii,Citrobacter ballerupensis,Escherichia freundii,Salmonella ballerup,Salmonella hormaechei
D017422	Sequence Analysis, DNA	A multistage process that includes cloning, physical mapping, subcloning, determination of the DNA SEQUENCE, and information analysis.	DNA Sequence Analysis,Sequence Determination, DNA,Analysis, DNA Sequence,DNA Sequence Determination,DNA Sequence Determinations,DNA Sequencing,Determination, DNA Sequence,Determinations, DNA Sequence,Sequence Determinations, DNA,Analyses, DNA Sequence,DNA Sequence Analyses,Sequence Analyses, DNA,Sequencing, DNA
D047090	beta-Lactams	Four-membered cyclic AMIDES, best known for the PENICILLINS based on a bicyclo-thiazolidine, as well as the CEPHALOSPORINS based on a bicyclo-thiazine, and including monocyclic MONOBACTAMS. The BETA-LACTAMASES hydrolyze the beta lactam ring, accounting for BETA-LACTAM RESISTANCE of infective bacteria.	beta-Lactam,4-Thia-1-Azabicyclo(3.2.0)Heptanes,4-Thia-1-Azabicyclo(4.2.0)Octanes,beta Lactam,beta Lactams