Diaminodiphenylsulfone resistance of Mycobacterium leprae due to mutations in the dihydropteroate synthase gene.
The nucleotide sequence analysis of the dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) gene of six diaminodiphenylsulfone-resistant Mycobacterium leprae strains revealed that the mutation was limited at highly conserved amino acid residues 53 or 55. Though the mutation at amino acid residue 55 or its homologous site has been reported in other bacteria, the mutation at residue 53 is the first case in bacteria. This is the first paper which links the mutations in DHPS and sulfonamide resistance in M. leprae. This finding is medically and socially relevant, since leprosy is still a big problem in certain regions.
Kai
M
M
Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan. mkai@nih.go.jp
Matsuoka
M
M
Nakata
N
N
Maeda
S
S
Gidoh
M
M
Maeda
Y
Y
Hashimoto
K
K
Kobayashi
K
K
Kashiwabara
Y
Y
D003622:Dapsone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004094:Dihydropteroate Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics
D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists; D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D003622:Dapsone; D004094:Dihydropteroate Synthase