Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Multiplex PCR Assay for Typing of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome Mec Types I to V in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
09:03

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

Novel Structure of Enterococcus faecium-Originated ermB-Positive Tn1546-Like Element in Staphylococcus aureus

Tsai-Wen Wan1, Wei-Chun Hung2, Jui-Chang Tsai3

  • 1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|August 3, 2016
PubMed

Insights

This study identified resistance determinants in erythromycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). The ermB gene, often linked to mobile elements, was prevalent, with a novel plasmid-borne Tn1546-like element found in MSSA.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) can develop resistance to antibiotics like erythromycin.
  • Understanding the genetic basis of this resistance is crucial for effective treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the resistance determinants in erythromycin-resistant MSSA isolates.
  • To investigate the genetic elements and mobile structures associated with macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin (MLS) resistance phenotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Phenotypic characterization of resistance using the double-disk diffusion D test.
  • Molecular detection of resistance genes (ermB, ermC, ermA) and mobile genetic elements (Tn551, IS1216V).
  • Plasmid analysis using S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and conjugation tests.

Main Results:

  • The ermB gene was the most frequent resistance determinant (35%) in MSSA.
  • A majority of ermB-positive isolates displayed the constitutive MLS (cMLS) phenotype and carried mobile element structure (MES)-like elements.
  • A novel finding was the presence of an Enterococcus faecium-originated ermB-positive Tn1546-like element on a plasmid in MSSA, previously unobserved in this bacterial species.

Conclusions:

  • The ermB gene, often associated with mobile elements and specific resistance phenotypes, is a significant determinant of erythromycin resistance in MSSA.
  • The identification of a plasmid-borne Tn1546-like element in MSSA represents a novel mechanism of resistance acquisition, with potential implications for the spread of antibiotic resistance.

More Related Videos

Characterization of a Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain Derived from Oreochromis spp. Farms Using Whole-Genome Sequencing09:44

Characterization of a Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain Derived from Oreochromis spp. Farms Using Whole-Genome Sequencing

Published on: December 23, 2022

3.0K
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

Development of Antibiotic Resistance01:30

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...
1.8K
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...
2.8K
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria01:29

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...
4.4K
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
9.4K
Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments01:28

Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments

Fimbriae and pili are specialized bacterial surface structures that play pivotal roles in adhesion, genetic exchange, and motility. Composed primarily of pilin protein, these hairlike appendages are crucial for bacterial survival and pathogenicity in various environments.Fimbriae: Adhesion and PathogenicityFimbriae are fine, filamentous structures measuring 2–10 nanometers in diameter and are densely distributed on the bacterial cell surface. They facilitate bacterial adhesion to abiotic...
2.8K
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes01:24

Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes

The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
572