Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
10:39

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus

Published on: March 10, 2017

17.5K

Improving transformation of Staphylococcus aureus belonging to the CC1, CC5 and CC8 clonal complexes

Mary Janice Jones1, Niles P Donegan1, Irina V Mikheyeva2

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America.

Plos One
|March 26, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Researchers developed a new method to genetically modify Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. This technique overcomes restriction-modification barriers, enabling direct transformation of clinical MRSA with E. coli plasmids for better pathogenesis studies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant opportunistic pathogen causing severe infections in both hospital and community settings.
  • Genetic manipulation of clinical MRSA strains is hindered by type I and IV Restriction Modification (R-M) barriers, complicating the introduction of foreign plasmids like those from E. coli.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a method for overcoming R-M barriers in clinical MRSA strains.
  • To enable direct transformation of common clinical MRSA isolates with E. coli-derived plasmids.
  • To facilitate genetic studies of MRSA pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Combined a Plasmid Artificial Modification (PAM) system with DC10B E. coli cells (dcm mutants).
  • Utilized this system to bypass type I and IV R-M barriers in Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Tested transformation efficiency in clinical MRSA strains MW2, N315, and LAC.

Main Results:

  • Successfully bypassed type I and IV R-M barriers in Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Enabled direct transformation of clinical MRSA strains (MW2, N315, LAC) with E. coli plasmids.
  • Demonstrated a viable method for genetic manipulation of key MRSA clonal complexes.

Conclusions:

  • The PAM system combined with DC10B E. coli cells effectively overcomes R-M barriers in MRSA.
  • This approach significantly enhances the ability to genetically modify clinically relevant MRSA strains.
  • The findings will advance research into MRSA pathogenesis and the development of new therapeutic strategies.

More Related Videos

Multiplex PCR Assay for Typing of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome Mec Types I to V in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus09:03

Multiplex PCR Assay for Typing of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome Mec Types I to V in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Published on: September 5, 2013

12.4K
Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations08:03

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

2.9K

Related Concept Videos

Staphylococcal Skin Infections01:29

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccus that resides harmlessly on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals. When the skin barrier is breached, it can shift from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen. This transition is facilitated by surface adhesins, such as clumping factor B and S. aureus surface protein G (SasG), which bind to structural proteins, including loricrin and cytokeratin, in the damaged epidermis. Protein A, another key factor, binds the Fc region of...
100
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...
57
Bacterial Transformation01:33

Bacterial Transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.
Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
63.8K
Bacterial Transformation01:33

Bacterial Transformation

14.3K
Transformation01:26

Transformation

Microbial communities are dynamic environments where cell lysis releases free DNA into the surroundings. Other cells can take up this extracellular DNA through a process known as transformation.When a cell incorporates this foreign DNA into its genome, resulting in genetic modification, the process is known as transformation. Cells capable of this process are termed competent. Competence can be natural, as observed in certain bacteria and archaea, or artificially induced in the...
1.4K
Conjugation01:19

Conjugation

Conjugation is a form of horizontal gene transfer that primarily occurs in bacteria and some archaea, promoting genetic diversity and adaptation. Bacteria can acquire resistance genes through conjugative plasmids, allowing them to survive antibiotic treatments that would otherwise be lethal. This process involves direct contact between cells through specialized structures such as the sex pilus and is mediated by conjugative plasmids, including the F (fertility) factor.Conjugation requires...
3.0K