A PLASMID-MEDIATED CMY-2 BETA-LACTAMASE FROM AN ALGERIAN CLINICAL ISOLATE OF SALMONELLA SENFTENBERG

Multiresistance to antibiotics including beta-lactams, e.g. cefoxitin, was transferred by conjugation to Escherichia coli strain Cia from a clinical isolate of Salmonella senftenberg recovered from stools of an Algerian child. The susceptibility pattern to beta-lactams was simila r to the profile mediated by an AmpC-type beta-lactamase. By biochemic al analysis, typical AmpC-type enzyme substrate and inhibition profile s were obtained. Finally, an ampC plasmid-encoded beta-lactamase gene was cloned and sequenced. Its deduced amino acid sequence confirmed it s identity as a class C beta-lactamase. It showed 99.5% sequence ident ity with the plasmid-mediated beta-lactamase CMY-2. The differences in the amino acid sequences of the two enzymes were located in the signa l peptide.