Activity of lividomycin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa: its inactivation by phosphorylation induced by resistant strains.

The antibacterial activity and enzymatic inactivation of lividomycin, a new aminoglycosidic antibiotic, were studied with 13 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The minimal inhibitory concentration of lividomycin was 12.5 to 25 mug/ml, and three strains were resistant to high concentrations of lividomycin (more than 200 mug/ml). It was found that P. aeruginosa TI-13 and K-11, highly lividomycin-resistant strains of clinical origin, strongly inactivated the drug. The third resistant strain, Km-41/R, was developed in vitro. Unlike the other resistant strains, Km-41/R, was developed in vitro. Unlike the other resistant strains, Km-41/R did not inactivate the drug, indicating that different mechanisms were involved in lividomycin resistance. By use of a cell-free extract from P. aeruginosa TI-13, the inactivation of lividomycin was found to be caused by the formation of a monophosphorylated product of the drug.