Biochemical aspects of the resistance to nourseothricin (streptothricin) of Escherichia coli strains.

In most cases Escherichia coli strains phenotypically resistant against nourseothricin (streptothricin) harbour a plasmid which codes for an acetyltransferase. This enzyme transfers an acetyl group from acetyl-coenzyme A to an amino group of the beta-lysine (peptide) chain of the antibiotic, thus inactivating it. Additionally, the penetrability for nourseothricin of the cell wall is drastically reduced in a high percentage of the resistant strains. Both resistance mechanisms seem to be independent of each other.