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Identification of the third type of PVL phage in ST59 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains

Meng Zhang1, Teruyo Ito, Shanshuang Li

  • 1Department of Infection Control Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|July 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Novel Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) phages were identified in Staphylococcus aureus strains. These phages, carrying virulence genes, show high similarity to known PVL phages and may arise from recombination events.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Virology

Background:

  • Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes (lukS-PV and lukF-PV) confer high virulence to Staphylococcus aureus.
  • These genes are located on prophages (PVL phages) classified within group 1 and 2 Sfi21-like Siphoviridae.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report novel PVL phages found in ST59 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from Japan and Taiwan.
  • To characterize the genomic features and evolutionary origins of these novel PVL phages.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-genome sequencing of novel PVL phages (φ7247PVL and φ5967PVL).
  • Comparative genomic analysis with known PVL and non-PVL phages.
  • PCR identification and nucleotide sequencing of additional MRSA isolates.

Main Results:

  • Two novel PVL phages, φ7247PVL and φ5967PVL, were identified in Japanese and Taiwanese ST59 MRSA strains, respectively.
  • The genomes of φ7247PVL and φ5967PVL showed >99% identity, with highly homologous regions for integrase, holin, amidase, and PVL genes compared to extant PVL phages.
  • Structural module genes were homologous to non-PVL group 3 Sfi21-like Siphoviridae, suggesting recombination events.

Conclusions:

  • Novel PVL phages are generated through illegitimate recombination, acquiring specific gene regions during lytic growth.
  • PVL-positive MRSA clones globally may harbor distinct PVL phages, highlighting ongoing phage evolution and diversity.

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