The sequence and analysis of the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis locus, PS B2, of Bacteroides fragilis 638R are described, and the sequence is compared with that of the PS B1 biosynthesis locus of B. fragilis NCTC 9343. Two genes of the region, wcgD and wcgC, are shown by complementation to encode a UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase and a UDP-N-acetylmannosamine dehydrogenase, respectively.

Cephalosporinase activity was demonstrated in all of 10 strains of Bacteroides fragilis investigated. Low rates of hydrolysis of cephalosporins (0.25 to 3.5 mumol of cephaloridine per h per 10(9) cells) were found, but no activity against penicillin substrates was detected. In two strains the cephalosporinase activity was increased 40-and 80-fold by growing cells in the presence of penicillin. ...

Loesche, W. J. (Forsyth Dental Center and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass.), S. S. Socransky, and R. J. Gibbons. Bacteroides oralis, proposed new species isolated from the oral cavity of man. J. Bacteriol. 88:1329-1337. 1964.-Twenty-seven strains of oral bacteroides were characterized and compared with a National Collection of Type Cultures strain of Bacteroides fragilis as well...

A fatal case of pyogenic meningitis due to Bacteroides fragilis in a 6-year-old boy is reported. The need for processing cerebrospinal fluid of patients with underlying conditions such as chronic otitis media for recovery of both aerobes and anaerobes is discussed.

One hundred and seventy-one strains of anaerobes were tested for susceptibility to carbenicillin by using agar dilution, broth dilution, and two disk diffusion methods. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for 67% of 51 strains of Bacteroides fragilis, 7 of 9 strains of Bacteroides melaninogenicus, and all of 8 strains of Eubacterium was 100 mug or less per ml. The MICs of the remaining a...

The activity of a fourth conserved tyrosine site-specific recombinase (Tsr) of Bacteroides fragilis was characterized. Its gene, tsr19, is adjacent to mpi, encoding the global DNA invertase regulating capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis. Unlike the other described Tsrs of B. fragilis, Tsr19 brings about inversion of two DNA regions, one local and one located distantly.

The activity of MK-0826, a new carbapenem, against 309 Bacteroides fragilis group strains was investigated and compared with that of 11 other beta-lactam and 5 non-beta-lactam agents. MK-0826 showed excellent activity (MICs ranged from < or =0.06 to 4 microg/ml). The new carbapenem may be useful in the treatment of mixed anaerobic infections involving B. fragilis group strains.

A beta-lactamase isolated from a strain of Bacteroides fragilis subsp. fragilis possessed hydrolytic activity toward cefotaxime. This antibiotic was degraded to a lower extent than was cephalothin, cephaloridine, and cefamandole, whereas cefoxitin remained unaffected by the enzyme. Kinetic parameters Vmax and Km for cefotaxime were calculated at 0.172 mumol/min and 1.1 X 10(-2) mM, respectively.