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Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
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Transfer of mupirocin resistance from Staphylococcus haemolyticus clinical strains to Staphylococcus aureus through

Ciro C Rossi1, Natália C Ferreira2, Marcus L V Coelho3

  • 1Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21491-590, Brazil.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|May 19, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Coagulase-negative staphylococci, like Staphylococcus haemolyticus, harbor mupirocin resistance genes on plasmids. These genes can transfer to Staphylococcus aureus, complicating infection treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Coagulase-negative staphylococci are potential reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes.
  • Transfer of resistance genes to Staphylococcus aureus complicates treatment of infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and characteristics of mupirocin resistance plasmids in nosocomial Staphylococcus haemolyticus strains.
  • To determine if these plasmids can transfer mupirocin resistance to Staphylococcus aureus.

Main Methods:

  • Phenotypic testing for mupirocin resistance in 75 nosocomial S. haemolyticus strains.
  • Plasmid analysis to identify resistance-conferring elements.
  • Conjugation experiments to assess gene transfer to S. aureus.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 12% of tested S. haemolyticus strains exhibited mupirocin resistance.
  • Mupirocin resistance was associated with the presence of diverse plasmids.
  • These plasmids were capable of conjugative or mobilizable transfer of resistance to S. aureus.

Conclusions:

  • Staphylococcus haemolyticus acts as a significant reservoir for transferable mupirocin resistance genes.
  • The findings highlight the need for enhanced surveillance and control strategies against S. haemolyticus as an opportunistic pathogen.
  • This study underscores the threat of antibiotic resistance gene transfer in hospital settings.
Keywords:
CoNSmupirocinplasmidresistancestaphylococci

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