Transduction of Tetracycline Resistance in Staphylococcus epidermidis |
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| Authors: | Barbara H. Minshew and E. D. Rosenblum |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Microbiology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas 75235 |
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| Abstract: | Fourteen Staphylococcus epidermidis strains were biotyped according to the scheme of Baird-Parker and tested for their sensitivities to S. epidermidis typing phages. Tetracycline-susceptible strains were tested for the capacity to be transduced to resistance. Five strains, all of biotype 1, were lysed by one or more phages. Five of eight biotype 1 strains were transduced to tetracycline resistance with rates of 10(-8) to 10(-5). Three strains of other biotypes were not transduced, nor was PS 73, an unusual coagulase-negative strain. The transducing phage phi367 was isolated from the lysogenic tetracycline-resistant donor strain. The phage morphologically resembles serological group B S. aureus phages. Restriction and modification were indicated from the efficiency of plating on phage-sensitive strains. |
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