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Journal of Bacteriology, September 1998, p. 4350-4359, Vol. 180, No. 17
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Complete Nucleotide Sequence of pSK41: Evolution of Staphylococcal Conjugative Multiresistance Plasmids

Tracey Berg, Neville Firth, Sumalee Apisiridej, Anusha Hettiaratchi, Amornrut Leelaporn, and Ronald A. Skurray^*

School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia

Received 5 May 1998/Accepted 16 June 1998

The 46.4-kb nucleotide sequence of pSK41, a prototypical multiresistance plasmid from Staphylococcus aureus, has been determined, representing the first completely sequenced conjugative plasmid from a gram-positive organism. Analysis of the sequence has enabled the identification of the probable replication, maintenance, and transfer functions of the plasmid and has provided insights into the evolution of a clinically significant group of plasmids. The basis of deletions commonly associated with pSK41 family plasmids has been investigated, as has the observed insertion site specificity of Tn552-like -lactamase transposons within them. Several of the resistance determinants carried by pSK41-like plasmids were found to be located on up to four smaller cointegrated plasmids. pSK41 and related plasmids appear to represent a consolidation of antimicrobial resistance functions, collected by a preexisting conjugative plasmid via transposon insertion and IS257-mediated cointegrative capture of other plasmids.

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^* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia. Phone: 61-2-9351-2376. Fax: 61-2-9351-4771. E-mail: skurray{at}bio.usyd.edu.au.

Present address: Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hadyai 90112, Thailand.

Present address: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.

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Journal of Bacteriology, September 1998, p. 4350-4359, Vol. 180, No. 17
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

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