[Multiple antibiotic resistance in actinomycetes]

Abstract

Native strains of Actinomycetes from three systematic groups of Streptomyces (blue, gray and globisporine) have been characterized for their resistance to antibiotics and sulfamids. Most strains are found to possess stably inheritable multiple resistance to many antibiotics. The resistance of a number of strains to the aminoglycoside antibiotics and penicillins appears to be due to the presence of inactivating enzymes in these strains. The resistance to erythromycin, lyncomycin, tetracycline and ristomycin is likely to have an inducible nature in S. coelicolor A3(2). Linkage analysis for resistance determinants in pairs suggests random distribution of the majority of determinants among tested strains. Non-random distribution has been shown for determinants of resistance to tetracycline, chloramphenicol and ristomycin in Tc Cm, Tc Rm combinations.