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. 1989 Nov;27(11):2459–2465. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.11.2459-2465.1989

Differences in antimicrobial susceptibility of pigmented and unpigmented colonial variants of Mycobacterium avium.

R S Stormer 1, J O Falkinham 3rd 1
PMCID: PMC267058  PMID: 2808669

Abstract

Unpigmented colonial variants were isolated from pigmented Mycobacterium avium isolates recovered from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and the environment. The variants were interconvertible: the rate of transition from unpigmented to pigmented type was 4.0 x 10(-5) variants per cell per generation. The unpigmented variants were more tolerant to antibiotics, especially beta-lactams, and Cd2+ and Cu2+ salts than were their pigmented parents. Both pigmented and unpigmented variants of the strains produced beta-lactamase, although beta-lactamase did not appear to be a determinant of beta-lactam susceptibility. Pigmented variants grew more rapidly in a number of commonly used mycobacterial media, were more hydrophobic, and had higher carotenoid contents than their unpigmented segregants.

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Selected References

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