Tandem repeat sequence analysis of staphylococcal protein A (spa) gene in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus

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Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus by Ribosomal Spacer PCR (RS-PCR)
08:51

Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus by Ribosomal Spacer PCR (RS-PCR)

Published on: November 4, 2016

Arshnee Moodley1, Marc Stegger, Nouri L Ben Zakour

  • 1Department of Disease Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, Frederiksberg C, 1870, Denmark. asm@life.ku.dk

Veterinary Microbiology
|November 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

A new staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing method effectively differentiates methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) clones. This tool aids in tracking MRSP strains in veterinary medicine.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Bacterial Genetics

Background:

  • Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a significant pathogen in companion animals.
  • Methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) poses a growing threat, necessitating robust typing methods.
  • Existing typing methods may lack the specificity or ease of use for routine MRSP surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a species-specific staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing protocol for Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.
  • To characterize clinical MRSP isolates using the novel spa typing method alongside established techniques like PFGE and SCCmec typing.
  • To investigate the genetic diversity and clonal structure of MRSP isolates from different geographical regions.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequencing to identify the staphylococcal protein A (spa) gene in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.
  • Development of a species-specific spa typing protocol.
  • Characterization of 31 clinical MRSP isolates using spa typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCCmec) typing.
  • Sequence analysis of the mecA gene to identify different alleles.

Main Results:

  • Two distinct MRSP clones were identified, associated with specific geographical locations (Europe and California) and SCCmec types (III and V, respectively).
  • The spa typing protocol successfully differentiated MRSP isolates.
  • Sequence analysis of mecA revealed four alleles (mecA1-mecA4), correlating with geographical origin and enabling further discrimination within the European clone.
  • The newly developed spa typing method demonstrated effectiveness in characterizing MRSP isolates.

Conclusions:

  • The developed spa typing method is a valuable tool for rapid and easy typing of MRSP.
  • Combining spa typing with SCCmec and mecA typing provides a high-resolution epidemiological analysis of MRSP.
  • This approach aids in understanding the population structure and transmission dynamics of MRSP in veterinary settings.

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