Small-colony mutants of Staphylococcus aureus allow selection of gyrase-mediated resistance to dual-target fluoroquinolones - PubMed (original) (raw)

Small-colony mutants of Staphylococcus aureus allow selection of gyrase-mediated resistance to dual-target fluoroquinolones

Xiao-Su Pan et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2002 Aug.

Abstract

Fluoroquinolones acting equally through DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV in vivo are considered desirable in requiring two target mutations for emergence of resistant bacteria. To investigate this idea, we have studied the response of Staphylococcus aureus RN4220 to stepwise challenge with sparfloxacin, a known dual-target agent, and with NSFQ-105, a more potent sulfanilyl fluoroquinolone that behaves similarly. First-step mutants were obtained with both drugs but only at the MIC. These mutants exhibited distinctive small-colony phenotypes and two- to fourfold increases in MICs of NSFQ-105, sparfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. No changes were detected in the quinolone resistance-determining regions of the gyrA, gyrB, grlA, or grlB gene. Quinolone-induced small-colony mutants shared the delayed coagulase response but not the requirement for menadione, hemin, or thymidine characteristic of small-colony variants, a subpopulation of S. aureus that is often defective in electron transport. Second-step mutants selected with NSFQ-105 had gyrA(S84L) alterations; those obtained with sparfloxacin carried a gyrA(D83A) mutation or a novel gyrB deletion (DeltaRKSAL, residues 405 to 409) affecting a trypsin-sensitive region linking functional domains of S. aureus GyrB. Each mutation was associated with four- to eightfold increases in MICs of NSFQ-105 and sparfloxacin, but not of ciprofloxacin, which we confirm targets topoisomerase IV. The presence of wild-type grlB-grlA gene sequences in second-step mutants excluded involvement of topoisomerase IV in the small-colony phenotype. Growth revertants retaining mutant gyrA or gyrB alleles were quinolone susceptible, indicating that resistance to NSFQ-105 and sparfloxacin was contingent on the small-colony mutation. We propose that small-colony mutations unbalance target sensitivities, perhaps through altered ATP or topoisomerase levels, such that gyrase becomes the primary drug target. Breaking of target parity by genetic or physiological means eliminates the need for two target mutations and provides a novel mechanism for stepwise selection of quinolone resistance.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIG. 1.

FIG. 1.

Relationships of S. aureus mutants selected stepwise with quinolones. Single numbers above the boxes indicate the concentrations of ciprofloxacin, sparfloxacin, and NSFQ-105 used in each step of selection.

FIG. 2.

FIG. 2.

Trypsin digestion of S. aureus GyrB protein generates 46-kDa N-terminal and 27-kDa C-terminal fragments. GyrB protein was incubated with trypsin, and samples were removed at the time points indicated. Reactions were quenched in SDS-gel loading buffer and applied to an SDS-10% polyacrylamide gel. After electrophoresis, protein bands were visualized by staining with Coomassie blue dye.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Adachi, T., M. Mizuuchi, E. A. Robinson, E. Appella, M. H. O'Dea, M. Gellert, and K. Mizuuchi. 1987. DNA sequencing of the Escherichia coli gyrB gene: application of a new sequencing strategy. Nucleic Acids Res. 15:771-784. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alovero, F. L., M. Nieto, M. R. Mazzieri, R. Then, and R. H. Manzo. 1998. Mode of action of sulfanilyl fluoroquinolones. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 42:1495-1498. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alovero, F. L., X.-S. Pan, J. E. Morris, R. H. Manzo, and L. M. Fisher. 2000. Engineering the specificity of antibacterial fluoroquinolones: benzenesulfonamide modifications at C-7 of ciprofloxacin change its primary target in Streptococcus pneumoniae from topoisomerase IV to gyrase. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44:320-325. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brockbank, S. M., and P. T. Barth. 1993. Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the DNA gyrase genes from Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 175:3269-3277. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chambers, H. F. 1997. Methicillin resistance in staphylococci: biochemical basis and clinical implications. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 10:781-791. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources