Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
08:51
Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus by Ribosomal Spacer PCR RS-PCR
Published on: November 4, 2016
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Evolution and genomic insight into methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST9 in China
Nansong Jiang1, Kelly L Wyres2, Jun Li1,3
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Animal Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
|April 6, 2021
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus ST9 in China evolved rapidly from pig farming origins around 1987. This strain, a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes, poses a potential public health risk due to host exchange between pigs and humans.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 9 (ST9) is a significant pathogen with a complex evolutionary history.
- Understanding the genomic epidemiology of ST9 is crucial for public health, particularly regarding antimicrobial resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct the evolutionary history and genomic epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus ST9 in China.
- To investigate the genetic makeup, including multiresistance gene clusters and prophages, of ST9 isolates.
Main Methods:
- Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis of 131 S. aureus ST9 isolates collected from China between 2002 and 2016.
- Phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian methods to determine evolutionary divergence.
- Investigation of the lsa(E)-carrying multiresistance gene cluster and prophage genotyping.
Main Results:
- ST9 isolates were divided into two clades, with Bayesian phylogeny suggesting divergence in Chinese pig farming as early as 1987.
- Isolates exhibited similar multiresistance properties, likely acquired before ST9 emergence in China.
- The accessory genome was conserved, with similar phage content but a lack of certain virulence genes.
Conclusions:
- Host exchange and transmission of ST9 between pigs and humans have occurred, potentially facilitated by pig farming and trading.
- Antimicrobial resistance in ST9 is linked to extensive antimicrobial use in livestock and stable integration of resistance genes.
- ST9 isolates represent a potential public health risk due to their role as a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes.
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