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Updated: Jan 5, 2026
Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus by Ribosomal Spacer PCR RS-PCR
Published on: November 4, 2016
Genotyping and characterization of prophage patterns in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus
Mahya Dini1, Leili Shokoohizadeh1, Farid Aziz Jalilian2
1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Hamadan, Hamadan, Iran.
Objective:
Staphylococcus aureus is considered an important pathogen with a variety of virulence factors in communities and hospitals all around the world. Prophage typing is a practical technique for categorizing this bacterium. In this study, we focused on the detection of prophage patterns in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strains based on their virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and molecular typing by rep-PCR.
Results:
Out of 126 S. aureus isolates, 45 (35.7%) were identified as MRSA. In total, 17 different prophage types were detected and 112 strains out of 126 strains contained at least one prophage. There was a statistically significant relationship between hld, hlg, eta and SGA, SGA, and SGFb, respectively. The results of the rep-PCR analysis revealed 14 different patterns among the MRSA and MSSA isolates. In conclusion, the presence of different prophage-encoded virulence factors and antibiotic-resistant genes among MRSA strains enables them to produce a broad range of diseases. Thus, diverse MRSA strains which have these prophages can be considered as a potential threat to the patient's health in either the hospital or the community.
Insights
Prophage typing identified diverse patterns in Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA). These patterns correlate with virulence factors, highlighting MRSA
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a significant global pathogen.
- Prophage typing is a key method for bacterial classification.
- Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) poses a major healthcare challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate prophage patterns in MRSA and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strains.
- To correlate prophage types with virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance.
- To employ rep-PCR for molecular typing of S. aureus isolates.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and identification of S. aureus from clinical samples.
- Detection of methicillin resistance (MRSA/MSSA).
- Prophage typing and virulence gene analysis.
- Antimicrobial resistance profiling.
- Repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) for molecular typing.
Main Results:
- Out of 126 S. aureus isolates, 45.7% were MRSA.
- 17 distinct prophage types were identified; 112 strains harbored at least one prophage.
- Significant associations were found between specific prophages and virulence factors (hld, hlg, eta).
- rep-PCR revealed 14 distinct patterns among MRSA and MSSA isolates.
Conclusions:
- Prophage-encoded virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes contribute to MRSA's disease-causing potential.
- Diverse MRSA strains carrying specific prophages represent a significant threat in healthcare and community settings.
- Prophage typing combined with molecular methods provides valuable insights into S. aureus epidemiology and pathogenicity.
