Search

DNA sequencing analysis was used to investigate genetic alterations in therpoB, katG, andinhAregulatory region andembBin 66Mycobacterium tuberculosisisolates recovered from Central China. Of the 36 multidrug-resistant isolates, 33 (92%) had mutations in the amplified region ofrpoB. The most frequent mutation (58%, 19/36) was S531L (TCG→TTG). At least one mutation was found in thekatGandinhAregulatory region in 83% (30/36) of the multidrug-resistant isolates, and mutations atkatGcodon 315 were identified in 78% (28/36). Alterations atembB306 may not confer resistance to EMB, andembB306 mutants were more frequently accompanied byrpoBmutations (100%, 16/16) than bykatG315 mutations (75%, 12/16). Our results show that geographic variation in the molecular genetic mechanism is responsible for drug resistance in multidrug-resistantM. tuberculosis. This observation will facilitate the development of a rapid molecular drug resistance screening approach for drug-resistantM. tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]