Relationship between auxotype, plasmid pattern and susceptibility to antibiotics in penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Abstract

The relationship between auxotype, plasmid pattern and susceptibility to antibiotics has been studied in 2396 penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in The Netherlands during 1982 and 1983. The most prevalent auxotypes were proline requiring (Pro-; 44%) and non-requiring with inhibition by phenylalanine (NR Pheni; 39%). The majority (97%) of the Pro- strains carried the 4.5 Mdal resistance plasmid and 99% of the prototrophic strains the 3.2 Mdal plasmid. MICs were determined for cefuroxime, cefotaxime, erythromycin, tetracycline, thiamphenicol and sulphamethoxazole. Pro- isolates were usually less susceptible to antibiotics than prototrophic strains. Evidence was obtained that the level of relative resistance is related to the nutritional requirement as well as the plasmid type.

Antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Japan, 1993–2002: continuous increasing of ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates

“…Proline-requiring isolates are generally less susceptible to antibiotics such as penicillins or cephalosporins than prototrophic isolates. This has been reported previously for non-PPNG [13,14] and in PPNG [15]. Therefore, proline-requiring gonococcal isolates may acquire chromosomal-mediated resistance not only to ␤-lactams but also to structurally unrelated fluoroquinolones than do non-requiring isolates.…”

Penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae from St Thomas' Hospital 1976-1990--the first fifteen years.

“…Of the 64 PPNG resistant to more than one antibiotic, 94% carried the 4-4 MDa plasmid and the four PPNG with spectinomycin MICs of 512 mg/l all carried this plasmid: this was also reported by Ison, Gedney et.al 15 and Zenilman et al 17 A higher percentage of these isolates were also proline requiring, an observation also made by van Klingeren et al 14 Seventy-one percent of PPNG with the 4-4 MDa plasmid belonged to serogroup 1B whereas only 32% of those with the 3.2 MDa plasmid belonged to this serogroup, a similar relationship between plasmid type and serogroup to that seen by Ison et al 20 Temporal analyses of the distribution of the A/S classes show that the total population of PPNG isolates is formed of a heterogeneous mixture, in which certain A/S classes appear, disappear and frequently re-emerge. Others were present throughout in small numbers.…”

Molecular epidemiology of gonorrhea

“…(22,23,61). A large number of gonococcal auxotypes have been described (9,22,23,61), and their geographical distribution has been studied extensively (9,22,33,36,47,67).…”

“…Two conjugative plasmids, a 24.5-and a 25.2-MDa tetM-containing plasmid possessed by strains of N. gonorrhoeae with high-level resistance to tetracycline (TRNG strains), have also been described (44,50). Plasmid profiles, in conjunction with auxotyping and more recently with serological classification, have permitted the characterization of isolates from different geographical areas and the documentation of temporal changes in their distribution and prevalence (27,67 (55). Gonococcal strains belonging to serogroups WII and Will possessed similar PI molecules, designated P.IB, whereas strains belonging to serogroup WI possessed distinctly different PI molecules, designated P.IA (Fig.…”