Phylogenetic variety and importance in the b-lactamases of Elizabethkingia; anophilis, miracola and meningoseptica in pathogenicity
Abstract
With recent outbreaks of Elizabethkingia affecting the United States, it is important to further understand the method of action that this bacterium uses to infect patients. Given that Elizabethkingia is not regarded as a pathogen when found in nature, but has developed several advantages in antibiotic resistance, the sheer flexibility and variability of this organism to evade host immunity and pharmacological responses is cause for awe and alarm. Within this paper we will analyze the importance of Elizabethkingia as a pathogen, its proteophylogenetic importance as a carrier of ? lactamases and the further development of a ? lactamase library for the identification of these genes and proteins in future strains and other organisms.