Sequences of beta-lactamase genes encoding CTX-M-1 (MEN-1) and CTX-M-2 and relationship of their amino acid sequences with those of other beta-lactamases

Amino acid sequences determined either by protein sequencing or by DNA sequencing are identical for cefotaximases CTX-M-1 and MEN-1, whereas CTX-M-2 is 84% identical to CTX-M-1/MEN-1. Both beta-lactamases are distantly related to other plasmidic class A enzymes (homology to TEM-1 is 38.1% for CTX-M-1/MEN-1 and 36.5% for CTX-M-2); the closest relationship was with the chromosomal beta-lactamase of Klebsiella oxytoca E23004 (homologies of 74.5% for CTX-M-1/MEN-1 and 77.9% for CTX-M-2). The cefotaximases CTX-M-1/MEN-1 and CTX-M-2 represent two members of a new subgroup of plasmidic class A beta-lactamases.