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Phage type 187 as a separate subunit MboI restriction site within the Staphylococcus aureus species

Katarzyna Garbacz1, Lidia Piechowicz

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Gdansk, ul. Do Studzienki 38, 80-227 Gdansk, Poland. kasgab@gumed.edu.pl

Current Microbiology
|January 31, 2013
PubMed

Insights

This study compared Staphylococcus aureus strains using pta gene analysis. Notably, S. aureus phage type 187 strains exhibited unique genetic properties distinct from other S. aureus and related species.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Bacterial Genetics
  • Molecular Typing

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus is a significant pathogen in both human and animal health.
  • Phage typing is a traditional method for differentiating S. aureus strains.
  • Molecular techniques offer advanced methods for bacterial strain characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare Staphylococcus aureus phage type 187 strains with other S. aureus and related species (S. intermedius, S. pseudintermedius).
  • To investigate the utility of MboI restriction of a pta gene fragment for differentiating staphylococcal strains.
  • To identify unique genetic markers for S. aureus phage type 187.

Main Methods:

  • Phenotypic identification and species-specific nuc SA gene detection.
  • Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the pta gene.
  • Comparison of restriction fragment patterns across 395 human and canine staphylococcal strains.

Main Results:

  • Most S. aureus strains (human and animal) showed 156- and 164-bp fragments.
  • All S. aureus phage type 187 strains were resistant to MboI digestion of the pta gene fragment.
  • S. intermedius strains lacked the specific restriction sites, while S. pseudintermedius strains displayed distinct 213- and 107-bp fragments.

Conclusions:

  • S. aureus phage type 187 strains possess distinct genetic characteristics within the S. aureus species.
  • PCR-RFLP of the pta gene is a valuable tool for differentiating staphylococcal species and specific S. aureus phage types.
  • The findings highlight genetic diversity within staphylococcal populations relevant to veterinary and human medicine.

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