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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA
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Genetic Determinants of High-Level Oxacillin Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Maria Pardos de la Gandara1, Vitor Borges2, Marilyn Chung1

  • 1Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|March 21, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Six genes linked to guanine metabolism significantly contribute to antibiotic resistance in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. This finding highlights a key pathway for resistance across different MRSA clones.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exhibits diverse resistance mechanisms to beta-lactam antibiotics, including *mecA* and *mecC* genes.
  • Previous research identified genetic determinants of the stringent stress response influencing antibiotic resistance in archaic MRSA and *mecC*-MRSA strains.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the same genetic determinants identified previously also contribute to the antibiotic-resistant phenotype in contemporary MRSA clone USA300.
  • To identify specific genes associated with high-level antibiotic resistance in highly and homogeneously resistant (H*R) USA300 derivatives.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 20 H*R derivatives of the MRSA USA300 clone.
  • Identification of genetic mutations associated with the antibiotic-resistant phenotype.
  • Comparison of identified genes with previously discovered determinants in other MRSA strains.

Main Results:

  • Six genes (*fruB*, *gmk*, *hpt*, *purB*, *prsA*, and *relA*) were frequently targeted in the H*R MRSA strains, with one mutation per clone in 19 out of 20 strains.
  • Five of these six genes matched previously identified determinants of antibiotic resistance.
  • All repeatedly targeted genes, except one, were found to be linked to guanine metabolism.

Conclusions:

  • The identified genes play a crucial role in the antibiotic-resistant phenotype of contemporary MRSA USA300.
  • Guanine metabolism appears to be a key pathway influencing antibiotic resistance levels, independent of the specific MRSA clonal type.
  • These findings provide insights into conserved mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in MRSA.
Keywords:
MRSAguanine metabolismoxacillin resistance determinants

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