# ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN ORAL AND COLONIC ANAEROBES

> **NIH NIH R01** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 1987 · $135,451

## Abstract

Species of the obligate anaerobe, Bacteroides occupy a prominent position
in the microbial ecology of the human oral cavity and intestinal tract.
Although normally indigenous, Bacteroides of oral origin are often
associated with periodontopathic dental plaque.  One intestinal species, B.
fragilis, is the most commonly isolated anaerobic organism from soft-tissue
infections.  The emergence of resistance to the drug of choice, clindamycin
(Ccr), and to other antibiotics threatens to compromise the treatment of
Bacteroides infections.  Although resistance phenotypes have been traced to
plasmids, many strains possess transferable resistance elements that are
not associated with plasmid DNA.  In this application we shall test the
hypothesis that the Ccr determinant of a B. fragilis plasmid, pBF4, is a
transposon.  These studies will involve base sequence analysis of the ends
of this putative transposon and genetic tests of its ability to undergo
serial transposition.  Major effort will be directed towards defining the
genetic basis of the non-plasmid associated Ccr in Bacteroides.  Using
physical and genetic approaches we shall test the hypothesis that one such
element occupies a chromosomal integration site.  We shall also explore the
possibility that resistance transfer elements occur in oral Bacteroides and
we shall assess their ability to exchange resistance determinants with
intestinal species.  This work will use a wide array of modern genetic
methodology including mutant isolation, transmission genetics, molecular
cloning, in situ filter blot hybridization and DNA base sequence analysis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3129631
- **Project number:** 5R01AI020153-05
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MLQFL4JSSAA9
- **Principal Investigator:** FRANCIS L. MACRINA
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $135,451
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-07-01 → 1988-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3129631

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3129631, ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN ORAL AND COLONIC ANAEROBES (5R01AI020153-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3129631. Licensed CC0.

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