Phenotypic resistance in mycobacteria: is it because I am old or fat that I resist you?

OBJECTIVES We aimed to explore the phenomenon of phenotypic resistance to antimycobacterial antibiotics and to determine whether this was associated with cell age or the presence of lipid bodies. METHODS The accumulation of lipid-body-positive [lipid-rich (LR)] cells was followed using cell staining and flow cytometry. LR cells of Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium marinum, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) were separated from non-lipid-body-containing [lipid-poor (LP)] cells and their MBCs determined. We also compared the MBCs for LR and LP cells from 'old' and 'young' cultures. RESULTS The LR cells of all species were more resistant to antibiotics than LP cells. For BCG, the susceptibility ratios were as follows: rifampicin, 5×; isoniazid, 16.7×; ethambutol, 5×; and ciprofloxacin, 5×. Phenotypic resistance was found in LR cells irrespective of cell age. CONCLUSIONS We have shown that phenotypic antibiotic resistance is associated with the presence of lipid bodies irrespective of cell age. These data have important implications for our understanding of relapse in mycobacterial infections.