Chromosomal AmpC Genes in Enterobacter Species Other Than Enterobacter Cloacae, and Ancestral Association of the ACT-1 Plasmid-encoded Cephalosporinase to Enterobacter Asburiae

The amplification and sequence of ampC genes in Enterobacter asburiae, Enterobacter cancerogenus, Enterobacter dissolvens, Enterobacter hormaechei and Enterobacter intermedius bring the number of known cephalosporinase sequences from the genus Enterobacter to seven. Expression in Escherichia coli of the ampC genes from E. asburiae, E. hormaechei and E. intermedius established the functional nature of these genes. ampC from E. asburiae shows 96.5% identity to bla(ACT-1) encoding a plasmid-borne cephalosporinase previously believed to derive from Enterobacter cloacae. The reassignment of ACT-1 ancestry to E. asburiae is confirmed by the 95.5% identity between ampR upstream of bla(ACT-1) and ampR from E. asburiae.