Novel gyrase mutations in quinolone-resistant and -hypersusceptible clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Functional analysis of mutant enzymes

Mutations in the DNA gyrase GyrA(2)GyrB(2) complex are associated with resistance to quinolones in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. As fluoroquinolones are being used increasingly in the treatment of tuberculosis, we characterized several multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis carrying mutations in the genes encoding the GyrA or GyrB subunits associated with quinolone resistance or hypersusceptibility. In addition to the reported putative quinolone resistance mutations in GyrA, i.e., A90V, D94G, and D94H, we found that the GyrB N510D mutation was also associated with ofloxacin resistance. Surprisingly, several isolates bearing a novel combination of gyrA T80A and A90G changes were hypersusceptible to ofloxacin. M. tuberculosis GyrA and GyrB subunits (wild type [WT] and mutants) were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and used to reconstitute highly active gyrase complexes. Mutant proteins were produced similarly from engineered gyrA and gyrB alleles by mutagenesis. MICs, enzyme inhibition, and drug-induced DNA cleavage were determined for moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and enoxacin. Mutant gyrase complexes bearing GyrA A90V, D94G, and D94H and GyrB N510D were resistant to quinolone inhibition (MICs and 50% inhibitory concentrations [IC(50)s] at least 3.5-fold higher than the concentrations for the WT), and all, except the GyrB mutant, were less efficiently trapped as a quinolone cleavage complex. In marked contrast, gyrase complexes bearing GyrA T80A or A90G were hypersusceptible to the action of many quinolones, an effect that was reinforced for complexes bearing both mutations (MICs and IC(50)s up to 14-fold lower than the values for the WT). This is the first detailed enzymatic analysis of hypersusceptibility and resistance in M. tuberculosis.