Tetracycline Resistance in Staphylococci from Free‐living Rodents and Insectivores

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary: One hundred and fifty‐eight staphylococcal strains isolated from wild rodents and insectivores were analysed for plasmid‐borne resistance to tetracycline (Tc). Only 10 isolates, sixStaphylococcus saprophyticusisolates and single isolates ofS. xylosus, S. equorum, S. warneriandS. cohniisubsp.cohniicarried a Tc resistance plasmid of approximately 4.4 kb as confirmed by protoplast transformation. All 10 plasmids harboured a Tc resistance gene of hybridization class K [tet(K)] as confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The plasmid was assigned to the pT181 family as it revealed a high degree of restriction map homology to pT181 and other members of this family. Macrorestriction analysis with the enzymeSmaI showed that three of the six isolates identified asS. saprophyticusshared the same pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern.