Biomaterial Database

Cryptic tetracycline resistance determinant (class F) from Bacteroides fragilis mediates resistance in Escherichia coli by actively reducing tetracycline accumulation. 1987

B H Park, and M Hendricks, and M H Malamy, and F P Tally, and S B Levy

Department of Molecular Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.

Escherichia coli bearing a cryptic tetracycline resistance determinant from Bacteroides fragilis expressed low-level constitutive resistance to tetracycline under aerobic, but not anaerobic, growth conditions and accumulated less tetracycline aerobically than did isogenic susceptible cells. This decreased uptake was energy dependent and reversible by increased concentrations of tetracycline, suggesting a saturable carrier-mediated active efflux mechanism. Decreased uptake was not seen when the cells were grown and assayed anaerobically. Other tetracycline resistance determinants (classes A to E) isolated from gram-negative enteric bacteria expressed resistance and generated active efflux of tetracycline under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions. When the Bacteroides determinant was placed in the same cell with any of the class A to E tetracycline resistance determinants, there was an increase in resistance under aerobic conditions of as much as 48% more than was projected by adding the resistances expressed by the determinants individually. In cells bearing the class A determinant together with the Bacteroides determinant, saturation of the active efflux system required over twofold more exogenous tetracycline than did cells bearing the class A determinant alone. We have designated this new tetracycline resistance determinant class F.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
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
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D001441	Bacteroides fragilis	Gram-negative bacteria occurring in the lower intestinal tracts of man and other animals. It is the most common species of anaerobic bacteria isolated from human soft tissue infections.
D013752	Tetracycline	A naphthacene antibiotic that inhibits AMINO ACYL TRNA binding during protein synthesis.	4-Epitetracycline,Achromycin,Achromycin V,Hostacyclin,Sustamycin,Tetrabid,Tetracycline Hydrochloride,Tetracycline Monohydrochloride,Topicycline,4 Epitetracycline
D013753	Tetracycline Resistance	Nonsusceptibility of bacteria to the action of TETRACYCLINE which inhibits aminoacyl-tRNA binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit during protein synthesis.