Takaaki Akasaka

Type II Topoisomerase Mutations in Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Clinical Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated in 1998 and 1999: Role of Target Enzyme in Mechanism of Fluoroquinolone Resistance

ABSTRACT The major mechanism of resistance to fluoroquinolones forPseudomonas aeruginosa is the modification of type II topoisomerases (DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV). We examined the mutations in quinolone-resistance-determining regions (QRDR) ofgyrA, gyrB, parC, and parE genes of recent clinical isolates. There were 150 isolates with reduced susceptibilities to levofloxacin and 127 with reduced susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin among 513 isolates collected during 1998 and 1999 in Japan. Sequencing results predicted replacement of an amino acid in the QRDR of DNA gyrase (GyrA or GyrB) for 124 of the 150 strains (82.7%); among these, 89 isolates possessed mutations in parC orparE which lead to amino acid changes. Substitutions of both Ile for Thr-83 in GyrA and Leu for Ser-87 in ParC were the principal changes, being detected in 48 strains. These replacements were obviously associated with reduced susceptibilities to levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and sparfloxacin; however, sitafloxacin showed high activity against isolates with these replacements. We purified GyrA (The-83 to Ile) and ParC (Ser-87 to Leu) by site-directed mutagenesis and compared the inhibitory activities of the fluoroquinolones. Sitafloxacin showed the most potent inhibitory activities against both altered topoisomerases among the fluoroquinolones tested. These results indicated that, compared with other available quinolones, sitafloxacin maintained higher activity against recent clinical isolates with multiple mutations ingyrA and parC, which can be explained by the high inhibitory activities of sitafloxacin against both mutated enzymes.

In Vitro and In Vivo Antibacterial Activities of DK-507k, a Novel Fluoroquinolone

ABSTRACT The antibacterial activities of DK-507k, a novel quinolone, were compared with those of other quinolones: ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, sitafloxacin, and garenoxacin (BMS284756). DK-507k was as active as sitafloxacin and was as active as or up to eightfold more active than gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and garenoxacin against Streptococcus pneumoniae, methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and coagulase-negative staphylococci. DK-507k was as active as or 4-fold more active than garenoxacin and 2- to 16-fold more active than gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin against ciprofloxacin-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae, including clinical isolates and in vitro-selected mutants with known mutations. DK-507k inhibited all ciprofloxacin-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae at 1μ g/ml. A time-kill assay with S. pneumoniae showed that DK-507k was more bactericidal than gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin. The activities of DK-507k against most members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were comparable to those of ciprofloxacin and equal to or up to 32-fold higher than those of gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and garenoxacin. DK-507k was fourfold less active than sitafloxacin and ciprofloxacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while it was two to four times more potent than levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and garenoxacin against P. aeruginosa. In vivo, intravenous treatment with DK-507k was more effective than that with gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin against systemic infections caused by S. aureus, S. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa in mice. In a mouse model of pneumonia due to penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae, DK-507k administered subcutaneously showed dose-dependent efficacy and eliminated the bacteria from the lungs, whereas gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin had no significant efficacy. Oral treatment with DK-507k was slightly more effective than that with ciprofloxacin in a rat model of foreign body-associated urinary tract infection caused by a P. aeruginosa isolate for which the MIC of DK-507k was fourfold higher than that of ciprofloxacin. Oral administration of DK-507k to rats achieved higher peak concentrations in serum and higher concentrations in cumulative urine than those achieved with ciprofloxacin. These data indicate the potential advantages of DK-507k over other quinolones for the treatment of a wide range of community-acquired infections.

In Vitro Antibacterial Activities of DQ-113, a Potent Quinolone, against Clinical Isolates

ABSTRACT The antibacterial activity of DQ-113, formerly D61-1113, was compared with those of antibacterial agents currently available. MICs at which 90% of the isolates tested are inhibited (MIC90s) of DQ-113 against clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-susceptible and -resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci were 0.03, 0.008, 0.03, and 0.06 μg/ml, respectively. Moreover, DQ-113 showed the most potent activity against ofloxacin-resistant and methicillin-resistant S. aureus, with a MIC90 of 0.25μg/ml. DQ-113 inhibited the growth of all strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, including penicillin-resistant strains, and Streptococcus pyogenes at 0.06 μg/ml, and DQ-113 was more active than the other quinolones tested against Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium with MIC90s of 0.25 and 2 μg/ml, respectively. Against vancomycin-resistant enterococci, DQ-113 showed the highest activity among the reference compounds, with a MIC range from 0.25 to 2 μg/ml. DQ-113 also showed a potent activity against Haemophilus influenzae, including ampicillin-resistant strains (MIC90, 0.015 μg/ml), and Moraxella catarrhalis (MIC90, 0.03 μg/ml). The activity of DQ-113 was roughly comparable to that of levofloxacin against all species of Enterobacteriaceae. The MICs of DQ-113 against ofloxacin-susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa ranged from 0.25 to 2 μg/ml, which were four times higher than those of ciprofloxacin. From these results, DQ-113 showed the most potent activity against gram-positive pathogens among antibacterial agents tested.

Serine residues responsible for tetracycline transport are on a vertical stripe including Asp‐84 on one side of transmembrane helix 3 in transposon Tn10‐encoded tetracycline/H+ antiporter of Escherichia coli

Putative transmembrane helix 3 of the tetracycline/H+ antiporter encoded by a transposon, Tn10, contains four serine residues, Ser‐77, Ser‐82, Ser‐91 and Ser‐92. Each of these serine residues was replaced by site‐directed mutagenesis. Of these four serine residues, Ser‐77 was important for the transport function, and a bulky side chain at position 91 hindered substrate translocation, whereas Ser‐82 and Ser‐92 did not play any role. Ser‐77 and Ser‐91 are on the same vertical stripe, that includes the essential Asp‐84, on the hydrophilic side of putative helix 3. These observations suggest that helix 3 is part of the tetracycline translocation channel across the membrane. Tetracycline; Antiporter; Serine; Tetracycline/H+ antiporter; Site‐directed mutagenesis; Antibiotic resistance