• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.759-768
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• 1994

E coli strains isolated from pigs were investigated with respect to antimicrobial resistances and prevalence of R-plasmids. Also determined were properties of R-plasmids by plasmid conjugation, curing and southern hybridization using gene probes. All of 400 E coli strains were resistant to CL and SU, and 0.3% to 96.8% of the strains were resistant to most antimicrobials such as TC, PG, AM, SM, CP, GM, EM, NM, etc, while all strains were sensitive to AK. All strains were also multiply resistant to three to twelve antimicrobials. The resistances to PG, SM, TC, AM, CP, SU and ST were transferable and supposed to be mediated by R-plasmids which were opportunistic for transposition into chromosome. Plasmids bigger in size than chromosomal DNA were considered as R-plasmids and most plasmids in small size (<4Kb) proved as cryptic plasmids or nonconjugative R-plasmids. In a strain(No 99), AM resistant property was determined from both chromosomal DNA and R-plasmid DNA which is bigger in size than chromosome.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 1989

This paper deals with the genetic properties of R plasmids in Salmonella originated from pigs and cattle. The plasmid DNA was examined for incompatibility, stability and fertility inhibition(Fi), and gel electrophoresis was performed for isolation of plasmid DNA. The results obtained were summerized as follows: 1. Among the 66 conjugative R plasmids from 44 pigs and 22 cattle, 61 R plasmids (92.4%) were $Fi^-$, whereas the remainder were $Fi^+$. 2. The Inc groups of 66 R plasmids were determined with 7 standard plasmids. Twenty-six R plasmids were classified into Inc group $I{\alpha}$, H1, H2 or F1, 40 R plasmids being not classified with standard plasmids used, and the Inc group $I{\alpha}$ (57.7%) was most frequent. 3. Inc groups $I{\alpha}$, H1, and F1 were identified in strains from swine, Inc groups H2 and F1 from cattle. 4. The plasmid DNA profiles in 16 Salmonella isolated from pigs and cattle were confirmed as being 1 to 10 fragments by the gel eletrophoresis. Their molecular weight ranged 1.0 to 90 megadalton. 5. The molecular weight of conjugative plasmids ranged 1.0 to 80 megadalton in 4 Salmonella (P-4, P-5, P-7 and P-8) isolated from pigs.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.35-53
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• 1987

Multiply resistant Shigella strains isolated in Taegu area were subjected for the characterization of R plasmids. All strains isolated in 1984 and 1985 were susceptible to gentamicin, amikacin, and cephalothin, and most strains were susceptible to kanamycin (Km) and rifampin by agar dilution antimicrobial susceptibility test. The resistance frequency of S. flexneri against ampicillin (Ap) was higher than that of S. sonnei. The strains resistant to sulfisomidine (Su) and trimethoprim (Tp) were found at higher frequency in S. sonnei than in S. flexneri. The most prevalent resistance pattern of S. flexneri was chloramphenicol (Cm) tetracycline (Tc) streptomycin (Sm) Ap, followed by the pattern of CmTcSmSuApTp, CmTcSmSuApTp nalidixic acid, and CmTcSmSuAp in the decreasing order. The antibiogram of CmTcSmSuTp was found to be the most frequent pattern in S. sonnei. The ratio of conjugal transfer of S. flexneri was 47% and 75% of S. sonnei. The average number of plasmid harboring in Shigella was 4 and the size of plasmid ranged 1.3 to 134 megadalton (Mdal). Most S. flexneri carried plasmids of 2 to 3 Mdal and S. sonnei carried those of 3 to 4 Mdal size. The sizes of conjugative plasmids ranged 40-90 Mdal. The incompatibility group (Inc) F II plasmids (54-59 Mdal) were most frequent and rare Inc B plasmids (60 Mdal) of isolates in 1979 and 1980 and Inc FI (87 Mdal) of 1983 isolates were able to be classified by the colony test with standard reference plasmids. The R plasmids of known Inc group were tested for the restriction endonuclease analysis. The pattern of plasmids digested by EcoRl were apparently different by the Inc group but there was no significant difference between species or by the resistance patterns. Nonconjugative plasmids and their phenotypes were identified by transformation test. The transformants were resistant to less than two drugs. Colicin producing transformants carried the Col plasmid of 3.7 or 3.9 Mdal size. $Ap^r$ plasmids derived from S. sonnei were found to be mobilized by transfer factor RT641 to E. coli #CS100. $Ap^r$ plasm ids of same size shared by S. flexneri, S. sonnei, and E. coli were digested with Pstl. All of them showed two restriction fragments of 2.8 kilobase(kb) and 0.7kb. Other plasmids ($Sm^r\;Su^r$) derived from S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei were digested with Pstl and they showed same restriction fragment patterns of 3.1kb and 2.9kb. The plasmid profiles of three strains of S. sonnei producing colicin and showing same resistance pattern of CmTcSmSuApTpKm appeared to be similar. Restriction patterns by EcoRl and the behavior of plasmids in conjugation or transformation process were also similar between those plasmids. The restriction patterns were significantly different between the plasmids of Inc FI group and those of unclassified Inc group.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2006

Plasmids are covalently closed circular molecules of DNA that are stably inherited and replicate somewhat independently of the bacterial chromosome. Genes carried on plasmids can mediate a wide variety of important functions, including antibiotics (R plasmids) and heavy metals resistance, toxins production, cell penetration, iron chelation, complement resistance, and metabolic characteristics such as sucrose and lactose fermentation. Fifty strains of lactobacilli were isolated from 26 staters and 29 fermented milk products. They were classified 27 strains as Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei, 11 stains as Lactococcus lactis subsp cremoris, 6 strains as L delbrueckii subsp lactis, 4 strains as L acidophius, and 2 strains as L delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus. All of these strains were examined for drug resistance and transferability of R plasmids. All of the isolates were sensitive to Am, C, CF, E, NB, P, T, and Te. But resistant to SXT 94% (47 strains), K 66% (33 strains), S 56% (28 strains), ENR 50% (25 strains), NOR 38% (19 strains) CIP 38% (19 strains), GM 16% (8 strains), and N 14% (7 strains), in order. And 32 different resistant patterns were found. The most frequently encountered patterns were CIP-ENR-K-NOR-S-SXT (5 strains). In vitro R plasmids transfer experiment, 57 antibiotic resistant strains which were not transfer to the recipient 2 Escherichia coli strains by conjugation, These results indicate that Lactobacillus in internal trade market' stater recognize R factor but transmissible R plasmid is not existed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 1981

A total of 250 enteric bacteria (148 Escherichia coli, 41 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 46 Enterobacter spp. and 15 Proteus spp.) isolated from bovine udder infections in 1979 through 1980 were examined for drug resistance and prevalence of R. plasmids. The drug tested were streptomycin (SM), kanamycin (KM), ampicillin (AP), chloramphenicol (CP), tetracycline (TC), gentamicin (GM), oxolinic acid (OA) and nalidixic acid (NA). The detection of R. plasmids was performed with Escherichia coli ML 1410 NAr as the recipient. Of the 148 Escherichia coli isolated, 68(45.9%) were found to be resistant to one or more drugs tested, and about 50% of the resistant strains were multiply resistant. of the 68 drugresistant strains, 13(19.1%) were found to carry R. plasmids which were capable of performing a conjugal transfer. CP resistance was transfered together with the other resistance. Of 41 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated, 90.2% were resistant to the drugs, alone or in combination thereof. Strains resistant to AP and TC were 63.4%, and 48.8%, respectively. R. plasmids were detected in 78.4% of the drug-resistant strains, and these strains transfered all or a part of their drug resistance pattern. AP and CP resistance were transfered in 100% of AP and CP-resistant strains. Eleven (37.9%) of 29 R. plasmids showed a thermosensitive transfer. Of the 46 strains of Enterobacter spp. isolated, 37(80.4%) were resistant to the drugs tested. A high percentage of resistance was noted for AP(65.2%). All strains resistant to four or more drugs transferred their resistances to Escherichia coli ML 1410, but strains resistant to three or fewer drugs did not transfer the resistances. All of the 15 Proteus strains isolated were resistant to more than two drugs. of them, 6 were quadruple resistance to SM, KM, CP and TC, and 9 were double one to AP and TC. Three (20.0%) of the drug-resistant isolates had R.plasmids conferring AP and TC resistance. GM, OA and NA of the drugs tested were very active to all of 250 Gram-negative enteric bacteria isolated from bovine udder infections.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 1993

The properties and DNA structures of R plasmids differ depending on the species of the fish-pathogens Aeromonas hydrophila, A. salmonicida, Edwardsiella tarda, Enterococcus seriolicida, Pasteurella piscicida and Vibrio anguillarum. However, some R plasmids with the same resistance markers in similar DNA structures were found in A. hydrophila and E. tarda, as well as in A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida. R plasmids from V. anguillarum were classified into three groups according to their DNA structures. The first group was detected before 1977, the second from 1980 to 1983, and the third from 1989 to 1991. R plasmids have been retained within P. piscieida having the same DNA structures and detected at various locations and times. E. seriolicida strains carrying the same R plasmids, which were encoded with resistance to macrolide antibiotics(MLs), lincomycin(LIM), and TC, and to MLs, LIM, and CP. were distributed in yellowtail farms in various districts. The chloramphenicol-resistance(cat) gene of the R plasmids of P. piscicida was classified as CAT type I. The cat of the R plasmids of E, tarda. A. salmonicida was classified as type II. The cat of R plasmids of V. anguillarum was classified into two types. One type detected before 1977, was classified as CAT IV and the other type, detected after 1980, was classified as CAT II. Tetracycline-resistance (tet) V. anguillarum, isolated before 1977 and after 1981, was classified as Tet B and Tet G, respectively. The class D tet gene was widely distributed in R plasmids from fish-pathogens A. hydrophila, E. tarda, P. piscicida, and also V. anguillarum isolated after 1989.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.483-490
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• 1992

In order to understand the transfer behavior of a particular gene in water environments, kanamycin resistance ($Km^r$) gene was tracked by Southern hybridization with DNA probe in its conjugal transfer. A $Km^r$ natural bacterial isolate and genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) constructed from the isolate were used as donor for conjugal transfer of the $Km^r$ gene. The transfer frequencies of the $Km^r$ gene from GMM strains were generally 10 to 100 times higher than those from the natural isolate. The conjugants obtained from GMM strains in LB broth had more plasmids newly appeared, and particularly the conjugants in A Wand FW waters revealed more rearrangement in their plasmids as a function of conjugation time. When plasmids of the conjugants obtained in LB broth were Southern hybridized with DNA probe of the $Km^r$ gene, the $Km^r$ plasmids in the conjugants were detected at the same position of the plasmids in donor cells, in spite of the fact that the plasmids were highly rearranged in conjugant cells. But the $Km^r$ plasmids in the donor of DKI and DKC601, and DKC600 were not identified in the conjugants obtained after 50 h conjugation in AW and after 30 h in AW, respectively. The size of the $Km^r$ plasmids showing hybridization signal were a little changed in the conjugants obtained in A Wand FW waters. Therefore, the method of Southern hybridization with DNA probe was proved to be very specific and useful for tracking of particular genes in water environments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1123-1126
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• 2011

The IncP plasmid R995 has been a useful self-transmissible, broad-host-range vector for a number of applications including the recombinase/conjugation-based cloning of large genomic DNA segments. However, R995 derivatives (or related plasmids) expressing a wide range of different resistance markers and Flp recombinase target sites do not exist in the literature. In addition, documented strategies for applying such plasmids in cloning applications that take advantage of conjugation for the convenient isolation and recovery of constructs are extremely limited. Here, we report a new series of R995 plasmids with alternative markers to increase options for applications in backgrounds already expressing resistance to a particular antibiotic(s). These R995 plasmids have been engineered to contain FRT sites that can be used for recombinase-based cloning. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by cloning 20 kb regions from the Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli genomes and by cloning DNA from an exogenous plasmid source. To our knowledge, this represents the first systematic engineering of an intact, self-transmissible IncP plasmid with a series of alternative antibiotic markers and FRT sites.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.62.1-62.13
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• 2024

Importance: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious public health threat. AMR bacteria and their resistance determinants in food can be transmitted to humans through the food chain and by direct contact and disseminate directly to the environment. Objective: This study examined the AMR characteristics and transferable R plasmids in Escherichia coli isolated from meat ducks raised in an open-house system. Methods: One hundred seventy-seven (n = 177) commensal E. coli were examined for their antimicrobial susceptibilities and horizontal resistance transfer. The plasmids were examined by PCR-based plasmid replicon typing (PBRT) and plasmid multi-locus sequence typing (pMLST). Results: The highest resistance rate was found against ampicillin (AMP, 83.0%) and tetracycline (TET, 81.9%), and most isolates exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR) (86.4%). The R plasmids were conjugally transferred when TET (n = 4), AMP (n = 3), and chloramphenicol (n = 3) were used as a selective pressure. The three isolates transferred resistance genes either in AMP or TET. The blaCTX-M1 gene resided on conjugative plasmids. Five replicon types were identified, of which Inc FrepB was most common in the donors (n = 13, 38.4%) and transconjugants (n = 16, 31.2%). Subtyping F plasmids revealed five distinct replicons combinations, including F47:A-:B- (n = 2), F29:A-:B23 (n = 1), F29:A-:B- (n = 1), F18:A-B:- (n = 1), and F4:A-:B- (n = 1). The chloramphenicol resistance was significantly correlated with the other AMR phenotypes (p < 0.05). Conclusions and Relevance: The meat ducks harbored MDR E. coli and played an important role in the environmental dissemination of AMR bacteria and its determinants. This confirms AMR as a health issue, highlighting the need for routine AMR monitoring and surveillance of meat ducks.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.286-291
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• 1993

The $Km^{r}$ gene and plasmid of natural isolate and genetically modified microorganisms (GMM) rearranged by conjugation in water environments were comparatively analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and Southern analysis. The transfer rates of the $Km^{r}$ gene from GMM strains were generally 100 times higher than thosc of natural iso]ate(DKI) under laboratory cnvironments, but their transfer rate was not much different in Moosimcheon River water. The conjugants obtained in LB(Luria-Bertani broth) and FW(filtered river water) water under laboratory conditions showed same number of the plasmids. but the sizes of the plasmids were changed. The $Km^{r}$ gene in the conjugants was found in the same position as the pDKJO] $Km^{r}$ plasmid. In case of the GMM strains as donor. the large plasmids of 180 kb appeared in conjugants obtained in LB and FW water. Especially, the $Km^{r}$ gene in the donor of DKC600 was found to be inserted into chromosome of the conjugant obtained in FW water. However. in the conjugants obtained from DKl and DKB 701 in Moosimcheon River water, the plasmids were rearranged by 4 and 8. respectively, and all of them showed hybridization by the $Km^{r}$ probe. But the small plasmids of the recipient disappeared in the conjugant from DKC600 as donor, and the rearranged plasm ids and chromosome in the conjugants were observed to be hybridized with the $Km^{r}$ probe. Therefore, rearrangement of $Km^{r}$ gene and plasmids by conjugation was found to be afTected diversely by cellular characteristics as well as by environmental factors.