Abstract
Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) mediate susceptibility to β-lactam antibiotics. PBP 4, although not essential for survival, has been associated with low-level resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. To determine its contribution to survival of Staphylococcus aureus cells exposed to β-lactams, the PBP 4 gene (pbp4) was disrupted and then complemented in the methicillin-susceptible strain RN4220 and the homogeneous methicillin-resistant strain COL. Depending on the antibiotic tested, the presence or absence of an intact pbp4 has no effect or only a modest effect on growth measured by population analysis. These data indicate that PBP 4 is a relatively unimportant target of β-lactams not only in methicillin-susceptible but also methicillin-resistant S. aureus.
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