Transduction of amikacin, gentamicin and tobramycin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa with phage F 116 and AP 19, a new wildtype phage.

Amikacin-, tobramycin-, gentamicin- as well as carbenicillin-resistance has been found to be transducible, in various combinations of spectra both with the phage F 116 propagated on an Amikacin-resistant wild-type strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (No. BE 11) and with the phage AP 19 isolated from a different Amikacin-resistant strain (No. 578). Both strains were found to transfer Amikacin-resistance genes presumably by conjugation thus possessing an R plasmid coding for multiple antibiotic resistance. Evidence is presented that classical as well as wild-type phages may acquire and transmit antibiotic resistance genes among pseudomonads. This is particularly significant in view of the importance to preserve Amikacin as an effective reserve antibiotic for treatment of poly-resistant infections including those caused by P. aeruginosa.