Interspecies recombination occurs frequently in quinolone resistance-determining regions of clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2008 Nov;52(11):4191-3. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00518-08. Epub 2008 Sep 2.

Abstract

Fluoroquinolone resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes has been reported only anecdotally, but a recent Belgian surveillance study found a rate of nonsusceptibility of 5.4%. From an analysis of these isolates, we show that interspecies horizontal gene transfer within the parC quinolone resistance-determining region is a frequent phenomenon that might contribute to fluoroquinolone resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • DNA Topoisomerase IV / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Fluoroquinolones / pharmacology*
  • Gene Transfer, Horizontal
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Phylogeny
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Species Specificity
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / drug effects*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Fluoroquinolones
  • DNA Topoisomerase IV