Production of β-lactamase by 15 strains of Haemophilus influenzae has been investigated. All the strains produce a constitutive β-lactamase, which readily hydrolyses penicillin G, ampicillin, and cephaloridine. The β-lactamase produced by these strains is indistinguishable from the type-IIIa enzyme commonly found in strains of Escherichia coli. The β-lactamase gene has been transferred from the enzyme-producing strains of Haemophilus to strains of H. parainfluenzae and a strain of E. coli.
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