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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, August 2000, p. 2133-2142, Vol. 44, No. 8
0066-4804/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Analysis of rdxA and Involvement of Additional Genes
Encoding NAD(P)H Flavin Oxidoreductase (FrxA) and Ferredoxin-Like
Protein (FdxB) in Metronidazole Resistance of Helicobacter
pylori
Dong-Hyeon
Kwon,1,*
Fouad A. K.
El-Zaatari,1,2
Mototsugu
Kato,1
Michael S.
Osato,1
Rita
Reddy,1
Yoshio
Yamaoka,1 and
David Y.
Graham1,2,3
Department of
Medicine1 and Division of Molecular
Virology,3 Baylor College of Medicine, and
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Medical
Center,2 Houston, Texas 77030
Received 18 November 1999/Returned for modification 19 March
2000/Accepted 8 May 2000
Metronidazole (Mtz) is a critical ingredient of modern multidrug
therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection. Mtz resistance reduces the effectiveness of these combinations. Although null mutations in a rdxA gene that encodes oxygen-insensitive
NAD(P)H nitroreductase was reported in Mtz-resistant H. pylori, an intact rdxA gene has also been reported in
Mtz-resistant H. pylori, suggesting that additional Mtz
resistance mechanisms exist in H. pylori. We explored the
nature of Mtz resistance among 544 clinical H. pylori
isolates to clarify the role of rdxA inactivation in Mtz resistance and to identify another gene(s) responsible for Mtz resistance in H. pylori. Mtz resistance was present in 33%
(181 of 544) of the clinical isolates. There was marked heterogeneity of resistance, with Mtz MICs ranging from 8 to
256 µg/ml.
rdxA inactivation resulted in Mtz MICs of up to 32 µg/ml
for 6 Mtz-sensitive H. pylori strains and 128 µg/ml for
one Mtz-sensitive strain. Single or dual (with rdxA)
inactivation of genes that encode ferredoxin-like protein (designated
fdxB) and NAD(P)H flavin oxidoreductase (frxA) also increased the MICs of Mtz for sensitive and resistant strains with
low to moderate levels of Mtz resistance. fdxB inactivation resulted in a lower level of resistance than that from rdxA
inactivation, whereas frxA inactivation resulted in MICs
similar to those seen with rdxA inactivation. Further
evidence for involvement of the frxA gene in Mtz resistance
included the finding of a naturally inactivated frxA but an
intact rdxA in an Mtz-resistant strain, complementation of
Mtz sensitivity from an Mtz-sensitive strain to an Mtz-resistant strain
or vice versa by use of naturally inactivated or functional
frxA genes, respectively, and transformation of an
Mtz-resistant Escherichia coli strain to an Mtz sensitive
strain by a naturally functional frxA gene but not an
inactivated frxA gene. These results are consistent with
the hypothesis that null mutations in fdxB,
frxA, or rdxA may be involved in Mtz resistance.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Rm 3A-320
(111D), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd., Houston,
TX 77030. Phone: (713) 794-7276. Fax: (713) 795-4471. E-mail:
dkwon{at}bcm.tmc.edu.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, August 2000, p. 2133-2142, Vol. 44, No. 8
0066-4804/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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