Numerous reports (Carpenter et al., 1944; Spink et al., 1945; Tainter, 1945) have been recorded in the literature describing increased resistance of bacteria to various chemotherapeutic substances, including antibiotics. Increased resistance of organisms to penicillin has been observed (Spink et al., 1945; Tainter, 1945; Demerec, 1945). In the latter case, attempts have been made to control inf...

The isolation of mutants of Staphylococcus aureus that are affected in the stability of penicillinase plasmids is described. One mutation is plasmid borne and results in nonreplication of the plasmid at 42 C. A second type of mutation is host-borne and gives rise to instability of both mcr(I) and mcr(II) penicillinase plasmids but not a tetracycline-resistant plasmid.

Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonei are distinguished unambiguously by the combined use of five test characters: nitrate reductase, beta-glucosidase, acid production from fructose, penicillinase, and trehalase. Typically, M. fortuitum was nitrate reductase positive, beta-glucosidase positive; M. chelonei was nitrate reductase negative, beta-glucosidase negative, penicillinase pos...

The inactivation kinetics for inhibition by sulbactam (CP45,899) of Citrobacter freundii GN346 cephalosporinase were studied in detail and compared with those of type Ib penicillinase or TEM-2 beta-lactamase mediated by R plasmid RGN823. The rate constant for progressive inactivation of the cephalosporinase was significantly larger than that measured with the penicillinase. The number of sulbac...

In Staphylococcus aureus, penicillinase remaining cell-bound (60 to 75% of original total) after treatment with citrate does not become exopenicillinase. Exopenicillinase in these cells appears only under conditions permitting de novo penicillinase synthesis. By use of (14)C-labeled cells, it was shown that exopenicillinase consists of newly synthesized molecules which have not equilibrated wit...

A series of plasmids harbored by naturally occurring penicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus were surveyed with a view toward exploring the variability in plasmid-linked marker patterns. Plasmids were transduced from their natural hosts to either of two plasmid-negative laboratory strains by selection for cadmium resistance, and the transductants were tested for all other markers ...