Macrolides are widely used for the treatment of Ureaplasma spp. infection. The aim of this study was to investigate possible genetic resistance determinants in Ureaplasma spp. isolates. A total of eleven macrolide- resistant Ureaplasma spp. isolates, recovered from urogenital specimens, were investigated for genetic mechanisms of macrolide resistance. The 23S rRNA operons, as well as L4 and L22 ribosomal protein genes, were amplified and sequenced. Our study identified that the mutation A2066G in the 23S rRNA and four mutations (G361T, A406G, C422T and G196A) in the L22 ribosomal protein, may be responsible for the resistance of Ureaplasma spp. to macrolides, in China.
Keywords: 23S rRNA; Ureaplasma spp.; genetic variation; macrolide resistance; ribosomal proteins.