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Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Targeting Biofilm Associated Staphylococcus aureus Using Resazurin Based Drug-susceptibility Assay
10:00

Targeting Biofilm Associated Staphylococcus aureus Using Resazurin Based Drug-susceptibility Assay

Published on: May 5, 2016

High-level vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates associated with a polymicrobial biofilm.

Linda M Weigel1, Rodney M Donlan, Dong Hyeon Shin

  • 1NCID/DHQP/ELB MS:G-08, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. lweigel@cdc.gov

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|November 1, 2006
PubMed
Summary

High-level vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) was identified in a polymicrobial biofilm. This VRSA acquired vancomycin resistance genes from Enterococcus faecium, highlighting the risk of antimicrobial resistance gene transfer in biofilms.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Targeting Biofilm Associated Staphylococcus aureus Using Resazurin Based Drug-susceptibility Assay
10:00

Targeting Biofilm Associated Staphylococcus aureus Using Resazurin Based Drug-susceptibility Assay

Published on: May 5, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Vancomycin is a critical treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.
  • The emergence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) poses a significant threat to public health.
  • Biofilms, particularly in indwelling medical devices, can promote antimicrobial resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize high-level vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) isolates within a polymicrobial biofilm.
  • To investigate the genetic mechanisms of vancomycin resistance acquisition in VRSA.
  • To understand the role of biofilms in the interspecies transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and identification of bacterial species from a nephrostomy tube biofilm.
  • Determination of vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for VRSA isolates.
  • Plasmid analysis to identify the genetic basis of vancomycin resistance (vanA gene).
  • Identification of additional antimicrobial resistance genes using molecular techniques.

Main Results:

  • High-level VRSA isolates were identified in a polymicrobial biofilm alongside Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and other bacteria.
  • VRSA isolates exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotic classes but remained susceptible to chloramphenicol, linezolid, rifampin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
  • The vanA gene conferring vancomycin resistance was located on a 100-kb plasmid acquired from an Enterococcus faecium isolate.
  • Novel tetracycline resistance genes, tet(U) and tet(S), were identified in the VRSA isolates.
  • The biofilm environment facilitated the acquisition and maintenance of vancomycin resistance genes through interspecies plasmid transfer.

Conclusions:

  • The study identified VRSA in a polymicrobial biofilm, demonstrating the potential for vancomycin resistance emergence in complex microbial communities.
  • Interspecies transfer of the vanA -carrying plasmid from E. faecium to MRSA within the biofilm environment is a key mechanism for VRSA development.
  • The findings underscore the critical role of biofilms in promoting the spread of antimicrobial resistance, including vancomycin resistance.
  • The presence of multiple resistance genes highlights the dynamic nature of bacterial adaptation and evolution in response to antibiotic pressure.