Identification of the metallo-β-lactamase gene from clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis

Bacteroides fragilis is one of the organisms known to produce carbapenem-hydrolysing metallo-beta-lactamase, which can confer resistance to a wide variety of beta-lactams. The purpose of this study was to identify carbapenem-hydrolysing metallo-beta-lactamase-producing B. fragilis strains by means of PCR assay, nucleotide sequencing and enzyme inhibition studies. Ten beta-lactam-resistant B. fragilis isolates were investigated. Four imipenem-resistant strains among the 10 isolates gave positive reactions in the PCR assay. The nucleotide sequences of the PCR products from two imipenem-resistant strains shared >98% similarity with the metallo-beta-lactamase gene from B. fragilis TAL 3636, which was used as a control. The amino acid sequence homology between the two imipenem-resistant strains and B. fragilis TAL 3636 was 99.2%. These strains produced high amounts of Zn2+-dependent beta-lactamases which were inactivated by EDTA. (C) 1999 Academic Press.