β-Lactam antibiotics increase the frequency of plasmid transfer in Staphylococcus aureus

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Abstract
The transfer of a plasmid specifying tetracycline resistance between different derivatives of Staphylococcus aureus by phage mediated conjugation was enhanced 100- to 1000-fold by exposure of the culture to subinhibitory concentrations of βlactam agents. A variety of other antibiotics, including vancomycin and teicoplanin, had no such effect. The enhanced frequency of transfer was probably due to the formation of large bacterial aggregates.