Plasmid-mediated extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (CTX-M-3 like) from India and gene association with insertion sequence ISEcp1

Six non-clonally related enterobacterial isolates producing a same extended -spectrum beta -lactamase CTX-M-15 were isolated in 1999 from patients hosp italized in a New Delhi hospital. CTX-M-15 differed from CTX-M-3 by an aspa ragine to glycine substitution in position ABL238. Its gene was located on large plasmids varying in size. In each case, a same insertion sequence ISE cp1 was identified upstream of the 5' end of bla(CTX-M-15). Typical -35 and -10 promoter sequences of Enterobacteriaceae were identified in the 3' end of ISEcp1. The location of ISEcp1 upstream of plasmid-mediated CTX-M-type beta -lactamase genes may contribute to their spread or/and their expressio n. (C) 2001 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.