PCR SINGLE-STRAND CONFORMATIONAL POLYMORPHISM CAN BE USED TO DETECT THE GENE ENCODING SHV-7 EXTENDED-SPECTRUM BETA-LACTAMASE AND TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT SHV GENES WITHIN THE SAME STRAIN

The PCR single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique described to identify mutants of the SHV beta-lactamases was extended to identify an SHV-7 type beta-lactamase. This was found in a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae, the first recorded isolate in the UK to prod uce this type of enzyme. We also demonstrate that PCR-SSCP can be used to identify more than one SHV beta-lactamase gene in a single strain.