Effects of 16S rRNA gene mutations on tetracycline resistance in Helicobacter pylori

The triple-base-pair 16S rDNA mutation AGA(926-928)-->TTC mediates high-level tetracycline resistance in Helicobacter pylori. In contrast, single- and double-base-pair mutations mediated only low-level tetracycline resistance and decreased growth rates in the presence of tetracycline, explaining the preference for the TTC mutation in tetracycline-resistant H. pylori isolates.