Characterization of the tobramycin-kanamycin-neomycin resistance plasmid in Staphylococcus epidermidis.

A strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis was transduced to tobramycin resistance and all transductants were also resistant to kanamycin and neomycin. Results of curing studies also indicated that these resistances were controlled by a single determinant on a plasmid. Agarose gel electrophoresis of the plasmid DNA from parent, cured, and transduced strains showed a single plasmid was responsible and its molecular weight was calculated to be 2.85 x 10(6). Attempts to determine other properties of the organism controlled by this plasmid were unsuccessful.