Abstract

Rifampin is the most powerful drug for treating leprosy and tuberculosis today. It inhibits initiation and elonation of RNA transcription by binding to β-subunit of RNA polymerase, leading to kill mycobacteria. We isolated one variant strain of Mycobacterium leprae from 24 Korean leprosy patients who are less susceptible to rifampin or have suffered from relapse by polymerase chain reaction and single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) of the rpoB gene. Direct sequencing of the rpoB to Ser-464, Arg-465, Arg-467 and Ala-468. This is the first finding on rpoB gene mutation of M. leprae from Korean patients ; moreover the mutant type was found to be different from the previously reported cases in other countries.

• Keywords: Mycobacterium leprae; PCR-SSCP; direct sequencing; multibacillary leprosy; missense mutation