Characterisation of bla TEM genes and types of β-lactamase plasmids in Neisseria gonorrhoeae – the prevalent and conserved bla TEM-135 has not recently evolved and existed in the Toronto plasmid from the origin

Table 1 Type of bla _TEM allele, β-lactamase producing plasmid, number of NG-MAST STs, and year and WHO Region of isolation of N. gonorrhoeae isolates cultured in 2000–2011 in 15 countries

β-lactamase encoding gene (No. of isolates)	β-lactamase producing plasmid types (%)	Number different NG-MAST STs	Year (WHO Region) of isolation
bla _TEM-1 (104)	African (85.6), Asian (14.4)	93	2000-2011 (All Regions^a)
bla _TEM-135 (30)	Rio/Toronto (86.7), Asian (10), African (3.3),	29	2000-2009 (All Regions^a)
bla _TEM-P14S^b (2)	African (100)	2	2008 (European)
bla _TEM-P14T^b (1)	Asian (100)	1	2003 (European)
bla _TEM-E110K (1)	African (100)	1	2003 (African)
bla _TEM-G228S (1)	African (100)	1	2009 (Western Pacific)
bla _TEM-135 ^c	Rio/Toronto		1984 (American)
bla _TEM-1 ^c	African		Late-1970s (American)
bla _TEM-1 ^c	Asian		Late-1970s (American)

^aWHO European, African, American (North and Latin America), Southeast Asian and Western Pacific Region.
^bAmino acid alteration in the 23 amino acids long signal peptide.
^cPreviously published strains possessing the first Toronto plasmid described (pJD7 [39, 40]), one of the first Asian plasmids (pJD4 [39–41]) and African plasmids (pJD5 [39–41]) isolated in Canada.

ISSN: 1471-2334