Isolation of OprM-deficient mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by transposon insertion mutagenesis: evidence of involvement in multiple antibiotic resistance.

Overproduction of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane protein OprM was observed in the nalidixix acid (NalB-type) multidrug-resistant strains. To clarify the involvement of OprM in the resistance, transposon mutants were isolated from strain PAO4141 and its OprM-overexpressed mutant KG2113 and were screened for OprM production by immunoblot assays using murine polyclonal antiserum resulting from immunization with purified OprM. Two OprM-deficient mutants from PAO4141 and one from KG2113 were identified. Determination of the susceptibilities of these mutants to antimicrobial agents demonstrated that OprM was involved not only in the acquired resistance, but also in the intrinsic resistance of P. aeruginosa to quinolones, cephems, penicillins, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol.