Streptococcus pneumoniae R6 interspecies transformation: genetic analysis of penicillin resistance determinants and genome-wide recombination events.

Interspecies gene transfer has been implicated as the major driving force for the evolution of penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Genomic alterations of S. pneumoniae R6 introduced during four successive transformations with DNA of the high-level penicillin-resistant Streptococcus mitis B6 with beta-lactam selection have now been determined and the contribution of genes to high resistance levels was analysed genetically. Essential for high level resistance to penicillins of the transformant CCCB was the combination of murM(B) (6) and the 3' region of pbp2b(B) (6) . Sequences of both genes were detected in clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae, confirming the participation of S. mitis in the global gene pool of beta-lactam resistance determinants. The S. mitis PBP1b gene which contains an authentic stop codon within the transpeptidase domain is now shown to contribute only marginal to resistance, but it is possible that the presence of its transglycosylase domain is important in the context of cognate PBPs. The genome sequence of CCCB revealed 36 recombination events, including deletion and acquisition of genes and repeat elements. A total of 78 genes were affected representing 67 kb or 3.3% of the genome, documenting extensive alterations scattered throughout the genome.

Mutations in Streptococcus pneumoniae penicillin-binding protein 2x: importance of the C-terminal penicillin-binding protein and serine/threonine kinase-associated domains for beta-lactam binding.

Penicillin-binding protein 2x (PBP2x) mutations that occur during the selection with beta-lactams are located within the central penicillin-binding/transpeptidase (TP) domain, and are believed to mediate resistance by interfering with the formation of a covalent complex of the active site serine with the antibiotic. We now investigated the effect of two point mutations found in two independently obtained laboratory mutants that are located at the surface of the TP domain with their side chains facing outside (G422D respectively R426C). They have no significant effect on resistance to cefotaxime in vivo or on binding to Bocillin™FL to the active site in vitro using purified PBP2x derivatives, thus apparently do not affect the active site directly. In contrast, in silico modeling revealed that they affect van der Waal's interactions with the PASTA1 (PBP and serine/threonine kinase associated) domain of the C-terminal extension and a noncovalent cefuroxime molecule found in the X-ray structure of an acylated PBP2x, suggesting some effect of the mutations on the interaction of the TP domain with PASTA1 and/or with the antibiotic associated with PASTA1. The effect of the PASTA domains on covalent binding of PBP2x to Bocillin FL was then investigated using a series of soluble truncated PBP2x derivatives. Deletion of 127 C-terminal residues, that is, of both PASTA domains, decreased binding dramatically by ∼90%. Surprisingly, deletion of only 40 amino acids resulted in the same phenotype, whereas the absence of 30 amino acids affected binding marginally by 10%, documenting a crucial role of the C-terminal domain for beta-lactam binding.