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Development in vitro of Bacterial Cross-resistance involving Penicillins, Chloramphenicol and Tetracycline

Nature volume 203, pages 548–549 (1964)Cite this article

Abstract

THE selection of antibiotic-resistant variants of bacteria can readily be demonstrated in vitro by repeated transfer of the culture in the presence of the particular antibiotic in question. Resistant variants isolated in this way show cross-resistance to other antibiotics of similar chemical structure to the antibiotic in which the original organism was cultured. Cross-resistance among unrelated antibiotics has been reported on occasion1–5 with strains of bacteria selected from in vitro experiments, but the phenomenon has not become well established and it is usually accepted that cross-resistance is not seen among chemically dissimilar antibiotics. We now wish to report the development of cross-resistance between certain penicillins, chloramphenicol and tetracycline, with bacteria cultured in the presence of any of these antibiotics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beecham Research Laboratories, Research Division, Brockham Park, Betchworth, Surrey

    R. SUTHERLAND, B. SLOCOMBE & G. N. ROLINSON

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  1. R. SUTHERLAND
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  2. B. SLOCOMBE
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  3. G. N. ROLINSON
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SUTHERLAND, R., SLOCOMBE, B. & ROLINSON, G. Development in vitro of Bacterial Cross-resistance involving Penicillins, Chloramphenicol and Tetracycline. Nature 203, 548–549 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/203548a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/203548a0

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