Geographic distribution of penicillin-resistant clones of Streptococcus pneumoniae: characterization by penicillin-binding protein profile, surface protein A typing, and multilocus enzyme analysis.
Examination of several hundred penicillin-resistant clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae has revealed extensive strain-to-strain variation in the number and molecular size of penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). This polymorphism has been used to classify resistant isolates into groups (PBP families) that share distinct electrophoretic profiles. We describe herein properties of four such PBP families: two from Spain (and/or Ohio) and one each from Hungary and Alaska. We have discovered that representative isolates assigned to each PBP family also share capsular serotype, antibiotic resistance pattern, pneumococcal surface protein A type, and multilocus enzyme genotype. The results demonstrate independent clonal origin for strains assigned to each PBP family. Each resistant clone occurs with uniquely high incidence within specific geographic areas.
Alaska AK