Inducible expression of ribosomal clindamycin resistance in Bacteroides vulgatus.

The abilities of erythromycin and clindamycin to act as inducers of clindamycin resistance in the strain Bacteroides vulgatus RYC18F6 is evaluated in vivo (efficiency of plating of inhibitory clindamycin concentrations) and in vitro [efficiency of poly(U)-directed polypeptide synthesis by ribosomes]. Uninduced cells failed to grow during the first 72 h, even at a very low clindamycin concentration (0.1 microgram/ml); after induction with erythromycin or clindamycin, cells were able to form colonies at 32 micrograms/ml after 48 h. The in vitro polymerization test with B. vulgatus RYC18F6 ribosomes (S-30 extract) showed that ribosomes from uninduced cells were fully sensitive to the inhibitory effect of clindamycin. Ribosomes obtained from erythromycin- or clindamycin-induced cells presented a reduced sensitivity to clindamycin inhibition. These results show that resistance to clindamycin in B. vulgatus RYC18F6 is an inducible phenomenon involving a ribosomal modification, probably similar to that previously described for gram-positive bacteria.