Open AccessHelicobacter pyloriacquistion of metronidazole resistance by natural transformationin vitro
Author(s) -
Jian Hua,
PengYuan Zheng,
Keng Fong Teo,
Mar Mar Khin,
Bow Ho
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v4.i5.385
Subject(s) - metronidazole , microbiology and biotechnology , transformation (genetics) , helicobacter pylori , biology , rapd , dna , agar plate , agar , strain (injury) , genomic dna , bacteria , antibiotics , genetics , gene , medicine , genetic diversity , population , environmental health , anatomy
AIM:To study whether Helicobacter pylori is naturally transformable.METHODS:Transformation was performed in BHI broth supplemented with horse serum and yeast extract. Genomic DNA extracted from a metronidazole resistant H.pylori strain was added to H. pylori broth culture. The mixture was incubated at microaerophilic atmosphere. The DNA-treated cells were plated on blood agar containing 8mg/L metronidazole to select for transformants. Sterile distilled water was used as a negative DNA control.The DNA profiles of transformants were compared with that of their parent strains by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting.RESULTS:Transformation ofH. pylori with DNA from a metronidazole resistant strain as a marker was demonstrated. Out of the 12 strains of H. pylori tested, 9 (75%) strains were found to be transformable. The transformation frequencies ranged from 3.4?10(-6) to 2.4 10(-4). By RAPD, DNA fingerprints of the transformants and their parent strains showed no change in DNA profiles though transformants were all resistant to metronidazole as compared with their metronidazole-sensitive parent strains.CONCLUSION:Helicobacter pylori is naturally transformable which might be one of the ways that H. pylori develops resistance to metronidazole.