Molecular characterization of a carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase fromChryseobacterium (Flavobacterium) indologenes

Chryseobacterium (Flavobacterium) indologenes 001 clinical strain was resis tant to several beta-lactam classes including carbapenems. Shotgun cloning experiments of Sau3AI restricted genomic DNA of C. indologenes 001 into pBK CMV cloning vector followed by transformation into Escherichia coli DH10B g ave one recombinant plasmid possessing a 4.2-kb DNA insert. It encoded a pr 7.2 beta-lactamase of 239 amino acids (IND-I) which is a metallo-enzyme wi th a broad spectrum beta-lactam hydrolysis profile. This class B carbapenem -hydrolyzing beta-lactamase shares the highest identity (43%) with BlaB fro m C. meningosepticum, thus showing heterogeneity of carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamases in Chryseobacterium spp. (C) 1999 Federation of European Mi crobiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.