Elsevier

Plasmid

Volume 43, Issue 1, January 2000, Pages 24-34
Plasmid

Regular Article
Sequence Analysis of the Family of Penicillinase-Producing Plasmids of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Communicated by S. Levy
https://doi.org/10.1006/plas.1999.1431Get rights and content

Abstract

The exact nature of the sequence differences between the medically important family of gonococcal penicillinase-producing plasmids has been ascertained. The entire DNA sequence of the Asia-type plasmid, pJD4, demonstrated that it is 7426 bp and contains two direct repeats (DR30) that are implicated in the formation of deletion variant plasmids, such as the Africa-type plasmid. We have identified putative DnaA and IHF binding sites, various open reading frames that are thought to specify functional proteins, and some important DNA sequences involved with conjugative transfer of gonococcal β-lactamase plasmids. The deletion in the Africa-type plasmid is 1827 bp and one of the DR30 repeats is also missing. The deletion in the Rio-type plasmid and several Toronto-type plasmids was determined to be 2273 bp and the sequence spanning the deletion was identical irrespective of geographic or temporal origin. The Nımes-type plasmid is an Africa-type plasmid and also contains an IS5 insertion sequence. Since IS5 has not been identified in gonococcal isolates, we suggest that this sequence may have been inserted after the original gonococcal plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli. The New Zealand plasmid is an Asia-type plasmid that contains an endogenous tandem duplication of 1883 bp and the direct DR2 is implicated in this duplication. The nature of the defined truncation of Tn2 present in the various plasmids is also discussed.

References (56)

  • A.-T Aman

    Structural Studies of the β-Lactamase-Producing Plasmids of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

    (1994)
  • Aman, A. T, Ng, L.-K, Begelow, N, and, Dillon, J. R. 1994, DNA sequence analysis of the 7.4 kb plasmid (pJD4) of...
  • S Bachellier et al.

    Repeated sequences

  • Backman, A, Orvelio, P, Vazquez, J. A, Skoid, O, and, Olcen, P. 1998, Characterization including sequence determination...
  • G.D Biswas et al.

    Construction of isogenic gonococcal strains varying in the presence of a 4.2 kilobase cryptic plasmid

    J. Bacteriol.

    (1986)
  • M Brett

    A novel gonococcal β-lactamase plasmid

    J. Antimicrob. Chemother.

    (1989)
  • J Brunton et al.

    Molecular nature of a plasmid specifying beta-lactamase production in Haemophilus ducreyi

    J. Bacteriol.

    (1981)
  • J Brunton et al.

    Molecular epidemiology of beta-lactamase-specifying plasmids of Haemophilus ducreyi

    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.

    (1982)
  • J.L Brunton et al.

    Evolution of antibiotic resistance plasmids in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Haemophilus species

    Clin. Invest. Med.

    (1983)
  • J Brunton et al.

    Molecular epidemiology of antibiotic resistance plasmids of Haemophilus species and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

    Rev. Infect. Dis.

    (1986)
  • S.T Chen et al.

    Nucleotide sequence comparisons of plasmids pHD131, pJB1, pFA3, pFA7, and β-lactamase expression in Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

    J. Bacteriol.

    (1987)
  • R.C Deonier

    Native insertion sequence elements: Locations, distributions, and sequence relationships

  • N Dickgiesser et al.

    Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae: A molecular comparison of 5.3 kb and 7.4 kb β-lactamase plasmids

    J. Bacteriol.

    (1982)
  • J.R Dillon et al.

    Basic techniques

  • J.R Dillon et al.

    Evaluation of eight methods for identification of pathogenic Neisseria species: Neisseria Kwik, RIM-N, Gonobio-Test, Minitek, Gonocheck II, GonoGen, Phadebact Monoclonal CG OMNI test, and Syva Micro Trak test

    J. Clin. Microbiol.

    (1988)
  • J.A.R Dillon et al.

    β-Lactamase plasmids and chromosomally mediated antibiotic resistance in pathogenic Neisseria species

    Clin. Microbiol. Rev.

    (1989)
  • Dillon, J. R, Yeung, K.-H, Gauthier, B. R, and, Hannah, K. A. 1990, Mobilization of naturally-occurring gonococcal...
  • Cited by (57)

    • Genus Neisseria

      2022, Encyclopedia of Infection and Immunity
    • Molecular characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Fukuoka, Japan, 1996–2018

      2021, Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance
      Citation Excerpt :

      To date, eight plasmid vector types have been identified in N. gonorrhoeae and these are named after their places of origins. Of the eight plasmid types, Asian, African and Toronto/Rio plasmids are most frequent and are widespread [5–7]. PPNG strains commonly produce TEM-1 β-lactamase encoded by the blaTEM-1 allele.

    • High prevalence of TEM-135 expression from the Asian plasmid in penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae from Hangzhou, China

      2019, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
      Citation Excerpt :

      All 15 isolates contained polymorphisms in mtrR and porB that have previously been associated with β-lactam resistance, and none of the isolates contained a mosaic penA allele. Whole-plasmid sequence analysis for the 15 isolates showed >99% sequence identity with the previously published Asian and African plasmids [5] and, except for the M182T mutation, no differences were observed in blaTEM and its promoter region. These isolates were further analysed by qPCR for plasmid copy number and blaTEM gene expression.

    • Molecular epidemiology of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in France

      2017, Clinical Microbiology and Infection
      Citation Excerpt :

      Of those carrying a mutation in the signal peptide (n = 8), seven were carried by an African plasmid and one by an Asian plasmid. Since the first description of gonococcal resistance to penicillins via the production of a TEM β-lactamase, both molecular studies [3,7] and surveillance network data have shown that the resistance frequencies can vary by country. According to ECDC, the rate of PPNG isolates varied from 2% to 31.6% in Europe in 2011 [23], and different studies have described a large range, from 1.4% in Japan [10] and 4.6% in England and Wales [14] to approximately 20% in Argentina [13] and 40% in China [12].

    • Multiplex bead suspension array for screening Neisseria gonorrhoeae antibiotic resistance genetic determinants in noncultured clinical samples

      2013, Journal of Molecular Diagnostics
      Citation Excerpt :

      The accuracy of the assay was determined by DNA bidirectional sequencing of PCR fragments amplified with primers indicated in Table 5. N. gonorrhoeae–specific chromosomal mutations and plasmid genes highly associated with PEN, CIP, ESC, TET, AZM, and SPT resistance and listed in Table 1 were included in the assay.11,12,17–44 PCR primers for 9 chromosomal N. gonorrhoeae genes were designed to target conserved sequences, which was especially important for highly variable genes such as penA and porB.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    1

    Current address: Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Winnipeg, Canada R3E 3R2.

    2

    Current address: Bureau of Biologics, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON Canada K1A 0L2.

    3

    To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada K1H 8M5. Fax: (613) 562-5452. E-mail: [email protected].

    View full text