Mechanism of increased kanamycin-resistance generated by protoplast regeneration of Streptomyces griseus. I. Cloning of a gene segment directing a high level of an aminoglycoside 3-N-acetyltransferase activity.

The genetic and biochemical basis of a 200-fold increase in kanamycin (KM)-resistance shown in Streptomyces griseus SS-1198PR generated by protoplast regeneration was investigated. A 15-kb Bcl I-DNA segment responsible for the KM-resistance was cloned into pIJ61 with Streptomyces lividans TK21 as host. The KM-resistance segment was then subcloned into pIJ702 as a 1.8-kb BamH I-Bgl II fragment with a BamH I site essential for the KM-resistance. Both S. lividans TK21 containing the cloned segments and S. griseus SS-1198PR showed multiple resistance to KM, dibekacin and gentamicin C complex. Cell free extracts from these strains inactivated the antibiotics in the presence of acetyl CoA in agreement with their resistance pattern. The structure of the inactivated KM-A was determined as 3-N-acetyl-KM-A indicating acetylation by an aminoglycoside acetyltransferase, AAC(3). The substrate range of the enzyme was unique and was designated AAC(3)-V. No genetic linkage was found between the cloned 15 kb Bcl I segment and the separately cloned streptomycin resistance gene (str) segment (3.8 kb Sph I fragment). The str genes cloned from both the parent (SS-1198) and the strain SS-1198PR were identical in their size, restriction site and function. In addition, these strains showed no significant difference in the total DNA digestion pattern. These results indicate that protoplast regeneration may cause a critical change in a specific region of DNA resulting in a high activity of an AAC(3) with a novel substrate range.