Use of pyrazinamidase activity on Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a rapid method for determination of pyrazinamide susceptibility
Mcclatchy, J.K.; Tsang, A.Y.; Cernich, M.S.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 20(4): 556-557
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0066-4804 PMID: 6805419 Accession: 006881088
Pyrazinamidase activity in clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis was previously found to correlate with susceptibility to the antituberculosis drug pyrazinamide. The Wayne method for determining pyrazinamidase activity, a technique also utilized as an aid in the identification of mycobacteria and a TLC method were useful screening methods for susceptibility testing, since resistant strains are pyrazinamidase negative. These simple methods overcome the difficulty in growing M. tuberculosis at pH 5.5, as is required in the conventional method of susceptibility testing.