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. 1997 May;41(5):1162–1165. doi: 10.1128/aac.41.5.1162

Clinical resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin in cutaneous propionibacteria isolated from acne patients is associated with mutations in 23S rRNA.

J I Ross 1, E A Eady 1, J H Cove 1, C E Jones 1, A H Ratyal 1, Y W Miller 1, S Vyakrnam 1, W J Cunliffe 1
PMCID: PMC163871  PMID: 9145890

Abstract

The genetic basis of erythromycin resistance in cutaneous propionibacteria was determined by comparing the nucleotide sequences of the peptidyl transferase region in the 23S rRNAs from 9 susceptible and 26 resistant clinical isolates as well as 4 laboratory-selected erythromycin-resistant mutants of a susceptible strain. In 13 isolates and the 4 laboratory mutants, cross-resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, and B-type streptogramins was associated with an A-->G transition at a position cognate with Escherichia coli 23S rRNA base 2058. These strains were resistant to > or = 512 microg of erythromycin per ml. Two other mutations were identified, an A-->G transition at base 2059 in seven strains, associated with high-level resistance to all macrolides, and a G-->A transition at base 2057 in six strains, associated with low-level resistance to erythromycin. These mutations correspond to three of four phenotypic classes previously identified by using MIC determinations.

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Selected References

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