Polymorphic mutation frequencies in Escherichia coli : emergence of weak mutators in clinical isolates

• Polymorphisms in the rifampin resistance mutation frequency (f) were studied in 696 Escherichia coli strains from Spain, Sweden, and Denmark. Of the 696 strains, 23% were weakly hypermutable (4 x 10(-8) < or = f < 4 x 10(-7)), and 0.7% were strongly hypermutable (f > or = 4 x 10(-7)). Weak mutators were apparently more frequent in southern Europe and in blood isolates (38%) than in urinary tract isolates (25%) and feces of healthy volunteers (11%).

Keyword

Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology

Blood/microbiology

Denmark

Drug Resistance; Bacterial/*genetics

Escherichia coli/drug effects/*genetics/isolation & purification

Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology

Feces/microbiology

Genes; Bacterial

Humans

Mutation

Polymorphism; Genetic

Research Support; Non-U.S. Gov't

Rifampin/*pharmacology

Spain

Sweden

Urinary Tract Infections/microbiology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)