Genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of aminoglycoside-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Latvia

• Aminoglycoside resistance influencing genes in M. tuberculosis were analyzed.
• Mutations in rrs gene, eis gene promoter region, rpsL, and gidB genes were detected.
• Several mutations were associated with genetic lineages of M. tuberculosis.

Mutations causing resistance to aminoglycosides, such as kanamycin (KAN), amikacin (AMK), and streptomycin, are not completely understood. In this study, polymorphisms of aminoglycoside resistance influencing genes such as rrs, eis, rpsL, and gidB in 41 drug-resistant and 17 pan-sensitive Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates in Latvia were analyzed. Mutation A1400G in rrs gene was detected in 92% isolates with high resistance level to KAN and diverse MIC level to AMK. Mutations in promoter region of eis were detected in 80% isolates with low-level MIC of KAN. The association of K43R mutation in rpsL gene, a mutation in the rrs gene at position 513, and various polymorphisms in gidB gene with distinct genetic lineages of M. tuberculosis was observed. The results of this study suggest that association of different controversial mutations of M. tuberculosis genes to the drug resistance phenotype should be done in respect to genetic lineages.