Chloramphenicol-Sensitive Escherichia coli Strain Expressing the Chloramphenicol Acetyltransferase (cat) Gene

An Escherichia coli strain (strain CM2555) bearing the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) gene was found to be sensitive to chloramphenicol. We demonstrate that the cat gene is efficiently expressed in strain CM2555. Our results suggest that decreased levels of acetyl coenzyme A in cat-expressing CM2555 cells in the presence of chloramphenicol may cause the bacterium to be sensitive to this antibiotic.