Few amino acid positions in rpoB are associated with most of the rifampin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background: Mutations in rpoB, the gene encoding the subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, are associated with rifampin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Several studies have been conducted where minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC, which is defined as the minimum concentration of the antibiotic in a given culture medium below which bacterial growth is not inhibited) of rifampin has been measured and partial DNA sequences have been determined for rpoB in different isolates of M. tuberculosis. However, no model has been constructed to predict rifampin resistance based on sequence information alone. Such a model might provide the basis for quantifying rifampin resistance status based exclusively on DNA sequence data and thus eliminate the requirements for time consuming culturing and antibiotic testing of clinical isolates. Results: Sequence data for amino acid positions 511

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2004
• Where: BMCBI
• Authors: Michael P. Cummings, Mark R. Segal
• Keywords: Amino Acid Positions, BMCBI 2004, DNA Sequence, Rifampin Resistance