A chromosomally located transposon in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

A new transposon, Tn2521, coding for carbenicillin, streptomycin, spectinomycin, and sulfanilamide resistance, has been identified in P. aeruginosa. The transposon occurs naturally in the chromosome of clinical strains of P. aeruginosa isolated in geographically separated hospitals. This has been demonstrated by its transductional linkage to the pur-136 marker and also by Southern hybridization. Tn2521 is 6.8 kilobases, can transpose from the chromosome to both IncP-1 and IncP-2 plasmid genomes, and has a pattern of restriction endonuclease sites unlike that of any previously described transposon. The carbenicillin resistance carried by Tn2521 is due to the PSE-4 type of β-lactamase.