Antibiotic resistance and resistance mechanisms in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.

Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are recognized as the most common causative agents of bacterial gastroenteritis in the world and infections with these organisms occur more frequently than do infections due to Salmonella species, Shigella species, or Escherichia coli 0157:H7. The incidence of human Campylobacter infections has increased markedly in both developed and developing countries worldwide and, more significantly, so has the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter strains, with evidence suggesting that the use of antibiotics, in particular the fluoroquinolones, as growth promoters in food animals and the veterinary industry is accelerating this trend. In this minireview, the patterns of emerging resistance to the antimicrobial agents useful in treatment of the disease are presented and the mechanisms of resistance to these drugs in Campylobacter spp are discussed.

Identification of putative zinc hydrolase genes of the metallo-beta-lactamase superfamily from Campylobacter jejuni.

DNA fragments encoding two putative zinc-dependent hydrolases, designated GLX2-1 and GLX2-2, from a clinical isolate of Campylobacter jejuni, strain 012, were cloned and sequenced. GLX2-1 was encoded by a sequence of 798 bp and GLX2-2 by a sequence of 597 bp. The amino acid sequences deduced from C.

Isolation and expression of a novel molecular class D beta-lactamase, OXA-61, from Campylobacter jejuni.

A novel beta-lactamase gene, blaOXA-61, from Campylobacter jejuni GC015 was cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. blaOXA-61 encodes a protein of 257 amino acids in which the active-site STFK tetrad and conserved class D beta-lactamase motifs YGN and KTG were identified. A conserved sequence upstream of blaOXA-61 is required for expression in Campylobacter.

Sequence analysis of a cryptic plasmid pCJ419 from Campylobacter jejuni and construction of an Escherichia coli-Campylobacter shuttle vector.

A small cryptic plasmid, pCJ419, was identified in a human clinical isolate of Campylobacter jejuni, cloned and sequenced. pCJ419 is a circular molecule of 4013 bp with a G+C content of 27.1%.