1 How do mutations lead to resistance?

A bacterium can acquire antibiotic resistance through genetic mutations which are permanent changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence that makes up a gene. Perhaps the best example of acquisition of resistance by mutation is Mycobacterium tuberculosis where resistance to all therapeutic agents is caused by mutation.

So how does altering the sequence of a bacteria’s DNA result in antibiotic resistance? The answer lies in how genetic information, encoded by DNA, is converted into proteins which are required for the structure and function of bacteria.