Restriction endonuclease characterization of resistant plasmids in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from children in the Sudan

Abstract

SUMMARYThe investigation of plasmid similarity is an important component in the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and in the detection of epidemic plasmids. The use of restriction endonucleases in the classification of transferable, multiplyresistant plasmids from faecal Enterobacteriaceae isolated at the Children's Emergency Hospital, Khartoum was investigated. Twenty-four transconjugant plasmids, coding for 11 different resistance patterns, each of molecular weight 62 MDa, were studied using four restriction enzymes; Pst I, EcoR I, Hind III and Ava II. Fifteen different digest profiles were obtained. Restriction profiles discriminated between plasmids with differing resistance patterns and demonstrated homology of plasmids with common resistance patterns. Restriction endonuclease digest patterns provide a potentially rapid and reproducible method of plasmid classification, that could contribute towards surveillance systems in tropical countries with a high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance.

β-Lactam resistance in normal faecal flora from South Africa

“…The plasmids on which resistance genes reside effect the levels of antibiotic resistance in a given population: rapid rises in levels of resistance have been shown to result from the spread of epidemic plasmids [14]. As a result, the need has been emphasized for effective surveillance and classification of antibiotic resistance plasmids in order to predict future resistance problems [14.…”