Gentic properties of an R factor carrying resistance to aminolgycoside antibiotics

Abstract

R factor Rms 151 is an fi+ R factor and belongs to a incompatibility group FII. It carries the genes governing resistance to various aminoglycoside antibiotics, i.e., kanamycin (KM), lividomycin (LV), gentamicin C complex (GM), and 3',4'-dideoxykanamycin B (DKB), in addition to those governing to tetracycline (TC), chloramphenicol (CM), sulfanilamide (SA), and ampicillin (APC). Electron microscopy observation disclosed that the Rms151 deoxyribonucleic acid was a circular form with length of 31.2 mum. A probable circular genetic map of Rms151 was proposed by genetic and biochemical studies, the genes being in the order of -tet-tra-amp-aad-sul-aph-cml-, in which aad and aph confer resistance to KM.GM.DKB by adenylytransferase or resistance to KM.LV by phosphotransferase, respectively.