Molecular Surveillance of 16S rRNA Methylase Genes in Aminoglycoside-Resistant Proteus mirabilis: Research Article
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Keywords

16S rRNA methylases, Aminoglycoside resistance, CAUTIs, Proteus mirabilis, rmtA, rmtB, rmtC, PCR, swarming motility, Urease activity, UreC gene

How to Cite

Molecular Surveillance of 16S rRNA Methylase Genes in Aminoglycoside-Resistant Proteus mirabilis: Research Article. (2025). Pak-Euro Journal of Medical and Life Sciences, 8(2), 393-398. https://doi.org/10.31580/syr1zh46

Abstract

Proteus mirabilis is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium commonly associated with catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), largely due to its swarming motility and urease activity. These infections are often preceded by urolithiasis, including bladder and kidney stone formation. Aminoglycosides have traditionally been effective in treating a broad range of bacterial infections by binding to the A-site of 16S rRNA in the 30S ribosomal subunit, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis. However, resistance to aminoglycosides has emerged due to the acquisition of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes such as acetyltransferases, phosphotransferases, and nucleotidyltransferases. More concerning is the recent global dissemination of plasmid-mediated 16S rRNA methyltransferase genes—rmtA, rmtB, and rmtC, which confer high-level resistance and pose a serious clinical threat. In this study, P. mirabilis isolates were molecularly confirmed through amplification of the ureC gene. Antimicrobial susceptibility to aminoglycosides was assessed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and broth microdilution assays. The presence of 16S rRNA methylase genes in resistant isolates was subsequently detected via PCR.

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