Resistance to macrolides
Endou, K.; Nakajima, Y.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 55(5): 1238-1244
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 9155181 Document Number: 470466
Resistance mechanisms to macrolide antibiotics involving lincosamide and streptogramin type B antibiotics were described in bacteria. Phenotype in the resistant microorganism is generally observed as one of two characteristics, i.e., decrease of intracellular macrolide-accumulation and inactivation of the drugs. The former phenotypic resistance results from one of three mechanisms: (1) mono- or di- methylation of a specific adenine residue in 23 S ribosomal RNA and (2) impaired uptake and (3) enhanced efflux of the antibiotics. The latter is caused by one of two mechanisms: (1) degradation of the drugs by a hydrolytic enzyme such as an esterase and (2) drug modification by one of enzymes such as nucleotidyl- and phospho- transferases.