Sulphonamide resistant commensal <it>Neisseria </it>with alterations in the dihydropteroate synthase can be isolated from carriers not exposed to sulphonamides
2002
Swedberg Göte | Qvarnström Yvonne
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Development of sulphonamide resistance in <it>Neisseria meningitidis </it>has been suggested to involve horizontal DNA-transfer from a commensal <it>Neisseria </it>species. In this study, we isolated commensal <it>Neisseria </it>from throat specimens and examined the isolates with respect to sulphonamide resistance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three resistant clones were identified and the resistance phenotype could be explained by amino acid variations in their dihydropteroate synthase, the target molecule for sulphonamides. Some of these variations occurred in positions corresponding to previously detected variations in resistant <it>N. meningitidis</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Sulphonamide resistant commensal <it>Neisseria </it>were isolated from an environment not exposed to sulphonamides, suggesting that resistant <it>Neisseria </it>has become a natural part of the commensal throat flora.</p>
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