Efficacy of transfer of antibiotic resistance determinants in Staphylococcus aureus strains in mixed culture of donor and recipient cells.

A series of 113 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinical specimens were used to study efficacy of transfer of determinants of PNC, STM, CMP, TTC, ERY and KAN resistances in mixed culture of donor strains and the recipient S. aureus strain 5849-fur-r, rif-r. It was found that TTC resistance was transferred at the highest frequencies (G = 3.93 X 10(-5], the differences in transfer of PNC, STM, CMP and ERY resistances were not significant at P less than or equal to 0.01. The efficacy of transfers turned out to depend on numerous factors having a multiple effect.