Correlation between lysozyme and bacitracin resistances in bacteria
Basu, S.; Dastidar, S.G.; Ganguly, M.; Chakrabarty, A.N.
Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 23(5): 267-272
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5189 PMID: 4077126 Document Number: 250969
A total of 156 strains, comprising 108 enterobacteria and vibrios, and 48 strains of staphylococci [Staphylococcus aureus, S. saprophyticus] from pathological sources were examined for resistance to lysozyme (Lz), bacitracin (Bc) and 18 other antimicrobial agents [gentamicin, streptomycin, reomycin, kanamycin, penicillin, ampicillin, cloxacillin, cycloserine, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, cephaloridine, rifampicin, nitrofurantoin, methicillin, polymyxin B sulfate, colistin and mitomycin C] including several cell wall or membrane-active ones. Nineteen of 20, 6 of 7, 37 or 41 strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp. and Shigella sp., respectively, and all the strains of Providencia (5), Salmonella (11) and Vibrio (24) tested, exhibited resistances to Lz (Lzr) and Bc (Bcr) at 1000 .mu.g/ml of each of these agents; for the remainder of the bacteria, resistance to these substances varied between 500 and 25 .mu.g/ml and closely equaled that of one another. None of the other antibiotic-resistances, encountered in many of these multiply drug-resistant strains, exhibited the type of association seen between Lzr and Bcr. This association was less pronounced in staphylococci, which nevertheless were predominantly Lzr. The experimentally derived, several step-up mutants of Lzr and Bcr, from sensitive bacteria exhibited homologous and reciprocal, stepwise rise in Lzr and Bcr (with the solitary exception of a strain of Shigella dysenteriae). These experimental data seem to support the findings on the association of Lzr with Bcr in the wild-type isolates which may involve common permeability defects in their surface layers. The response of these strains to dactinomycin and lipase appeared to offer support to such a view.