Macrolide resistance due to erm(55)
ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat. The identification and characterization of novel resistance genes is integral to AMR surveillance. The erm(55) gene was originally identified through whole genome sequencing of macrolide-resistant strains of Mycobacterium chelonae. The gene...
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American Society for Microbiology
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Microbiology Spectrum |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02397-24 |
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| author | David C. Alexander Tayah Farquhar Joshua M. E. Adams Danae M. Suchan Sean D. Workman Richard J. Wallace Jr. Barbara A. Brown-Elliott Omar M. El-Halfawy Andrew D. S. Cameron |
| author_facet | David C. Alexander Tayah Farquhar Joshua M. E. Adams Danae M. Suchan Sean D. Workman Richard J. Wallace Jr. Barbara A. Brown-Elliott Omar M. El-Halfawy Andrew D. S. Cameron |
| author_sort | David C. Alexander |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat. The identification and characterization of novel resistance genes is integral to AMR surveillance. The erm(55) gene was originally identified through whole genome sequencing of macrolide-resistant strains of Mycobacterium chelonae. The gene was annotated as a ribosomal methyltransferase, but its role as a determinant of macrolide resistance was not formally demonstrated. Three erm(55) alleles have now been documented. The plasmid-borne erm(55)P, the transposon-associated erm(55)T, and the chromosomal encoded erm(55)C exhibit ≈82% amino acid sequence identity. Here, we confirm that, when expressed from plasmids in a macrolide-susceptible strain of Escherichia coli, all three erm(55) variants confer resistance to azithromycin and clarithromycin.IMPORTANCEMacrolide antibiotics are often the only oral treatment option for infections with rapidly growing mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium chelonae. We previously identified three variants of a newly predicted macrolide resistance gene, erm(55), in M. chelonae, including the first case of a plasmid-mediated macrolide resistance in mycobacteria. The present study provides experimental evidence that the three erm(55) variants confer macrolide resistance and that each variant is unique in the degree to which it reduces susceptibility to clinically relevant macrolides. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83f64e0e04c94f70ad29e9aaa9bdd53e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2165-0497 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiology Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj-art-83f64e0e04c94f70ad29e9aaa9bdd53e2025-08-20T03:16:24ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972025-03-0113310.1128/spectrum.02397-24Macrolide resistance due to erm(55)David C. Alexander0Tayah Farquhar1Joshua M. E. Adams2Danae M. Suchan3Sean D. Workman4Richard J. Wallace Jr.5Barbara A. Brown-Elliott6Omar M. El-Halfawy7Andrew D. S. Cameron8Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaInstitute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, CanadaDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, CanadaInstitute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, CanadaInstitute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, CanadaMycobacteria/Nocardia Laboratory, The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center, UT Tyler School of Medicine, Tyler, Texas, USAMycobacteria/Nocardia Laboratory, The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center, UT Tyler School of Medicine, Tyler, Texas, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, CanadaInstitute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, CanadaABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat. The identification and characterization of novel resistance genes is integral to AMR surveillance. The erm(55) gene was originally identified through whole genome sequencing of macrolide-resistant strains of Mycobacterium chelonae. The gene was annotated as a ribosomal methyltransferase, but its role as a determinant of macrolide resistance was not formally demonstrated. Three erm(55) alleles have now been documented. The plasmid-borne erm(55)P, the transposon-associated erm(55)T, and the chromosomal encoded erm(55)C exhibit ≈82% amino acid sequence identity. Here, we confirm that, when expressed from plasmids in a macrolide-susceptible strain of Escherichia coli, all three erm(55) variants confer resistance to azithromycin and clarithromycin.IMPORTANCEMacrolide antibiotics are often the only oral treatment option for infections with rapidly growing mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium chelonae. We previously identified three variants of a newly predicted macrolide resistance gene, erm(55), in M. chelonae, including the first case of a plasmid-mediated macrolide resistance in mycobacteria. The present study provides experimental evidence that the three erm(55) variants confer macrolide resistance and that each variant is unique in the degree to which it reduces susceptibility to clinically relevant macrolides.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02397-24antibiotic resistanceMycobacteriummolecular biology |
| spellingShingle | David C. Alexander Tayah Farquhar Joshua M. E. Adams Danae M. Suchan Sean D. Workman Richard J. Wallace Jr. Barbara A. Brown-Elliott Omar M. El-Halfawy Andrew D. S. Cameron Macrolide resistance due to erm(55) Microbiology Spectrum antibiotic resistance Mycobacterium molecular biology |
| title | Macrolide resistance due to erm(55) |
| title_full | Macrolide resistance due to erm(55) |
| title_fullStr | Macrolide resistance due to erm(55) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Macrolide resistance due to erm(55) |
| title_short | Macrolide resistance due to erm(55) |
| title_sort | macrolide resistance due to erm 55 |
| topic | antibiotic resistance Mycobacterium molecular biology |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02397-24 |
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