Detection of Mutation in 23S rRNA in Isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes Resistant to Erythromycin

Abstract

Background: In this study, erythromycin resistance isolates from the students with aged 12-15 yr old were studied and the mutations in the 23S rRNA were identified by sequencing.
Methods: Throat samples of 327 students with 12-15 years old from 3 schools of Tehran were cultured on the selective Strep­tococ­cus pyogenes medium and 23 strains were primarily selected as S. pyogenes.
Results: All strains were susceptible to penicillin and bacitracin (0.04U). Minimum inhibitory of concentrations (MICs) for eryth­romycin were determined in which 5 strains were found intermediate, 2 strains resistance and the remaining 16 strains susceptible to erythromycin. MIC for the erythromycin-resistance strains, BT₃ and BT₄,were 8.2 and 12.4 µg/ml, respec­tively. PCR was performed for each six 23S rRNA operons and a fragment with 550 bp was sequenced. For two resis­tance strains, BT₃ and BT₄ there were a mutation in position 2059 (A to G). Also another mutation in position 2529 (G to A) was detected in BT3.
Conclusion: In addition to mutation at the position 2058 other point mutations in different positions of domain V involve in the resistance to macrolides.