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Rapid detection of blaIMP-6 by amplification refractory mutation system
Shizuo Kayama1, Norifumi Shigemoto, Ryuichi Kuwahara
1Project Research Center for Nosocomial Infectious Disease, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan.
Journal of Microbiological Methods
|November 24, 2011
Summary
A new Klebsiella pneumoniae strain, ISMRK, resistant to most ß-lactams but susceptible to imipenem, is emerging in Japan. Researchers developed a rapid ARMS PCR method to detect the bla(IMP-6) gene responsible for this resistance.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Antimicrobial Resistance
Background:
- Emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria poses a significant global health threat.
- Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common cause of hospital-acquired infections and exhibits increasing resistance to antibiotics.
- A specific strain, imipenem-susceptible meropenem-resistant Klebsiella (ISMRK), exhibiting resistance to nearly all ß-lactams except imipenem, is emerging in Japan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the genetic basis of imipenem-susceptible meropenem-resistant Klebsiella (ISMRK) resistance.
- To develop a rapid and accurate method for detecting the specific resistance gene in ISMRK.
Main Methods:
- Whole-genome sequencing and comparative analysis of ISMRK strains.
- Identification of the bla(IMP-6) gene, a variant of bla(IMP-1), in all ISMRK isolates.
- Development and validation of an Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS PCR) assay for rapid bla(IMP-6) detection.
Main Results:
- All imipenem-susceptible meropenem-resistant Klebsiella (ISMRK) strains examined carried the bla(IMP-6) gene.
- The bla(IMP-6) gene differs from bla(IMP-1) by a single nucleotide polymorphism at position 640.
- The developed ARMS PCR assay demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity for detecting bla(IMP-6).
Conclusions:
- The bla(IMP-6) gene is the key determinant of the imipenem-susceptible meropenem-resistant Klebsiella (ISMRK) phenotype.
- Rapid detection of bla(IMP-6) using ARMS PCR is feasible and crucial for surveillance.
- Effective monitoring and control strategies are needed to manage the spread of ISMRK.

