Screening for Predicted Beta-lactamases within Elizabethkingia anopheles

Elizabethkingia causes meningitis and sepsis among the immunocompromised and neonates. Many infections of Elizabethkingia are associated with high mortality rates and a significant rate of infection. Its high mortality rates are due to the bacterium's resistance to almost all antibiotics typically used to treat gram negative infections, such as ampicillin and tetracycline. This resistance is achieved by Elizabethkingia’s production of beta-lactamases, which work by hydrolyzing or cleaving the components of beta-lactam antibiotics. In this experiment, beta-lactamase genes of Elizabethkingia anopheles were screened for the beta lactamase characteristic of antibiotic resistance. Unfortunately, based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that genes Agl 2045 and 2038 are likely not beta-lactamases, as the average inhibition zone of each antibiotic tested fell well within what one would deem susceptible. It is suspected that genes Agl 2038 and 2045 play a role in the peptidoglycan synthesis pathway, but further research must be conducted to confirm this.