Rifabutin Is Inactivated by Mycobacterium abscessus Arr

Mycobacterium abscessus exhibits Arr (ADP-ribosyltransferase)-dependent rifampin resistance. In apparent contrast, rifabutin (RBT) has demonstrated promising activity in M. abscessus infection models, implying that RBT might not be inactivated by Arr. RBT susceptibility testing of M. abscessus Delta arr revealed a strongly decreased MIC. Our findings suggest that the efficacy of RBT might be enhanced by rendering RBT resilient to Arr-dependent modification or by blocking M. abscessus Arr activity.

Automated summary

The study suggests that rifabutin may not be inactivated by Arr in Mycobacterium abscessus, leading to decreased MIC values and potentially enhancing drug efficacy in treating infections.