Biological cost of rifampicin resistance in Helicobacter pylori

The present study was aimed at analyzing (i) the biological cost of RNA polymerase (rpoB) mutations conferring rifampin resistance on H.pylori, (ii) the relationship between the cost of rpoB mutations and the chromosomal mutaion, (iii) the relationship between the cost of rpoB mutations and the transcription profile of sensitive and resistantrif strains of H.pylori (iv) and rpoB mutations in view of the possible fitness burden associated with resistance to another antibiotics. H.pylori reference strain 26695 was routinely maintained on Columbia agar plates and H. pylori-selective antibiotic mix Dent. Liquid culture was grown in BHI broth. Both plates and broth cultures were incubated at 37C under atmosphere enriched with 5% CO2 for 2-3 days . Mutant strains were selected by culturing H. pylori 26695 on selective plates containing rifampicin. In 5 days resistant colonies were picked up and passed under rifampicin pressure. RNA isolated was reverse transcribed and used to probe H. pylori home-made arrays