DRUG RESISTANCE OF ENTERIC BACTERIA II

Abstract

Harada, Kenji (Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan), Mitsuo Kameda, Mitsue Suzuki, and Susumu Mitsuhashi. Drug resistance of enteric bacteria. II. Transduction of transmissible drug-resistance (R) factors with phage epsilon. J. Bacteriol. 86:1332–1338. 1963.—Transmissible drug-resistance (R) factors, which transfer resistance to tetracycline (TC), chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and sulfonamide by cell-to-cell contact, were found to be transduced in the system of Salmonella E group with phage epsilon (ε₁₅ and ε₃₄). The R⁺ transductants of S. newington (S-84) and S. chittagong (S-224) were all found to be unable to transfer their R factors by conjugation, and their R factors were not eliminated by treatment with acridine dyes so far as tested. The R factors containing TC resistance were consistently segregated when transduced. At low multiplicities of infection, the R⁺ transductants with ε₁₅ were all nonlysogenic and unable to produce normal ε₁₅ phage particles; among the R⁺ transductants with ε₃₄, 34% were lysogenic and 66% were sensitive to ε₃₄.