Abstract
Citrobacter freundii encodes an inducible chromosomal beta-lactamase similar to the constitutively expressed ampC beta-lactamase of Escherichia coli. In the latter species the ampC gene is located next to the fumarate reductase (frd) operon, whereas in C. freundii the ampC gene is known to be separated from frd by 1100 base pairs. This intervening DNA segment carries a gene, ampR, coding for a 31-kilodalton polypeptide. The cloned C. freundii OS60 ampC gene is inducible by beta-lactam antibiotics in E. coli, but only in the presence of an intact ampR gene. In the absence of inducer the AmpR protein represses C. freundii ampC synthesis 2.5-fold. Addition of beta-lactams induced expression from the cloned ampC beta-lactamase gene 11-fold. Thus, the AmpR protein has a positive effect on ampC expression in the presence of inducing beta-lactams. Two spontaneous mutants of C. freundii were isolated that constitutively overproduce the ampC beta-lactamase. The mutations in both these strains occurred outside the frd-amp region, suggesting that there is at least one additional component in the regulatory system. With the cloned C. freundii ampC gene in E. coli, mutants with the same phenotype could be obtained. These mutations were located on the E. coli chromosome. The constitutive beta-lactamase overproduction in these mutants requires the presence of an intact ampR gene.