Mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the world's deadliest bacterial infectious disease. It is still a global-health threat, particularly because of the drug-resistant forms. Fluoroquinolones, with target of gyrase, are among the drugs used to treat tuberculosis. However, their widespread use has led to bacterial resistance. The molecular mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance in mycobacterium tuberculosis have been reported, such as DNA gyrase mutations, drug efflux pumps system, bacterial cell wall thickness and pentapeptide proteins (MfpA) mediated regulation of gyrase. Mutations in gyrase conferring quinolone resistance play important roles and have been extensively studied. Recent studies have shown that the regulation of DNA gyrase affects mycobacterial drug resistance, but the mechanisms, especially by post-translational modification and regulatory proteins, are poorly understood. In this review, we summarize the fluoroquinolone drug development, and the molecular genetics of fluoroquinolone resistance in mycobacteria. Comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis will open a new view on understanding drug resistance in mycobacteria and lead to novel strategies to develop new accurate diagnosis methods.