Multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a serious concern worldwide. Resistance to β-lactam antibiotics occurs through mutations in penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), acquisition of β-lactamases, and alteration of antibiotic penetration. Mosaic structures of penA, which encodes PBP2, play a major role in resistance to β-lactams, especially cephalosporins. Ceftriaxone (CRO) is recognized as the only satisfiable antibiotic for the treatment of gonococcal infections; however, CRO-resistant isolates have emerged in the community. Here, we examined the affinity of β-lactam antibiotics for recombinant PBP2 in a competition assay using fluorescence-labeled penicillin. We found no or little difference in the affinities of penicillins and meropenem (MEM) for PBP2 from cefixime (CFM)-reduced-susceptible strain and cephalosporin-resistant strain. However, the affinity of cephalosporins, including CRO, for PBP2 from the cephalosporin-resistant strain was markedly lower than that for PBP2 from the CFM-reduced-susceptible-resistant strain. Notably, piperacillin (PIP) showed almost the same affinity for PBP2 from penicillin-susceptible, CFM-reduced-susceptible, and cephalosporin (including CRO)-resistant strains. Thus, PIP/tazobactam and MEM are candidate antibiotics for the treatment of CRO-resistant/multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae.
Keywords: Neisseria gonorrhoeae; antimicrobial resistance; ceftriaxone; meropenem; penA; penicillin-binding protein; piperacillin.