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Absence of Circular Plasmid Deoxyribonucleic Acid Attributable to a Genetic Determinant for Methicillin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Department of Microbiology, Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60616
Department of Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60616

ABSTRACT

Plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid was not detected by centrifugal analysis of lysates of penicillinase-negative strains of Staphylococcus aureus harboring a determinant of methicillin resistance derived from strain Villaluz. When these strains contained a penicillinase plasmid, the plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible strains was indistinguishable by the methods employed. The results indicate that the genetic determinant for methicillin resistance in the strains examined was not associated with a circular plasmid comparable to those that have been shown to determine resistance to benzylpenicillin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol in S. aureus.