Multiple resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics in actinomycetes.

Actinomycetes were characterized in terms of resistance to 11 different aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGs). Strains freshly isolated in AG containing media showed wide varieties of multiple AG resistance, while the majority of ISP (International Streptomyces Project) cultures and the actinomycete strains isolated in an AG free medium were susceptible to all or most of the AGs tested. Marked characteristics were noted in multiple AG resistance of gray and yellow colored actinomycetes and AG-producing strains. In gray colored isolates, multiple resistance to kanamycin A, dibekacin, ribostamycin, butirosin A, istamycin A and neamine was often observed. Yellow colored isolates having multiple AG resistance were mostly resistant to neamine, ribostamycin and streptomycin and, to a lesser extent, istamycin A, dibekacin and butirosin A. Most of the AG producers tested showed unique multiple AG resistance patterns.