Two different mechanisms of ampicillin resistance operating in strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 independent of resistance genes: Research letter

Abstract

Autoagglutinable strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 (seven nonfimbriate strains and one fimbriate strain) were transformed to obtain resistance to ampicillin. Two distinct mechanisms were found in these strains. One was operating in nonfimbriate strains by reducing OmpU protein production and the other was operating in a fimbriate strain (Bgd17) by newly overproducing cpxP protein. The twitching motility in the fimbriate Bgd17 strain disappeared depending on the production of cpxP protein, suggesting that fimbriation of V. cholerae O1 is controlled by a two-component signal transduction system. © 2009 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.