Occurrence and linkage of genes coding for resistance to sulfonamides, streptomycin and chloramphenicol in bacteria of the genera Pasteurella and Mannheimia

Abstract

Twenty-three isolates of the two genera Pasteurella ( P.) and Mannheimia ( M.) were analysed for the presence of genes specifying resistance to sulfonamides, streptomycin, and chloramphenicol. Specific PCR assays for the detection of the genes sulII, strA and catAIII, but also for the confirmation of their physical linkage were developed. A resistance gene cluster consisting of all three genes and characterised by a PCR amplicon of 2.2 kb was detected on four different types of plasmids and also in the chromosomal DNA of seven isolates. Physically linked sulII and strA genes were detected on three different types of plasmids and in the chromosomal DNA of three isolates. Sequence analysis of the different PCR amplicons revealed that these genes were present in either the orientation sulII- strA separated by differently sized spacer sequences, or strA- sulII. A truncated strA gene preceding a sulII gene was also detected in two cases.