Objective: The aim of this work was to analyze the presence of specific types of agr and SCCmec in Staphylococcus aureus strains and to determine the correlation between these types of genes and the response of S. aureus strains to photodynamic inactivation. Background:S. aureus is an important human pathogen that is still one of the most common etiological factors of nosocomial infections. The genetic factor connected with high pathogenicity of S. aureus strains is the agr locus, which encodes a molecule responsible for activation of virulence genes. The characteristic feature of strains resistant to methicillin (MRSA) is the presence of the gene determining the resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. This gene is a part of a mobile genetic element known as Staphylococcal Chromosome Cassette mec (SCCmec). Polymorphic differences in the agr locus and SCCmec cassette enable classification of strains into different groups. Materials and Methods: We cultured and incubated each strain with defined dose of photosensitizer (protoporphyrin diarginate). Next, strains were irradiated with a red light at a dose of 12 J/cm2. After an 18-h incubation, the Colony Forming Units were counted and the results were analyzed statistically. Furthermore, the genetic profile of the studied strains was determined with the use of the Multiplex PCR reaction both for agr and SCCmec elements. Results: The results agreed with previous data, confirming that the response to photodynamic inactivation varies among different S. aureus strains. We also found a connection between some of the agr and SCCmec groups and the response of analyzed S. aureus strains to photoinactivation. Conclusion: Unfortunately, those relations are not specific enough to determine a diagnostically important pattern, which could enable predictions of strain response to PDI. Nevertheless, we can conclude that the connection between the response of S. aureus strains to photoinactivation and the strain specific agr/SCCmec pattern could be observed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
LowyF.D.1998. Staphylococcus aureus infections. New Eng. J. Med., 339:2025.
GilotP., LinaG., CochardT., PoutrelB.2002. Analysis of the genetic variability of genes encoding the RNA II-activating components Agr and TRAP in population of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from cows with mastitis. J. Clin. Microbiol., 11:4060–4067.
5.
JarraudS., LyonG.J., FigueiredoA.M.S.et al.2000. Exfoliatin-producing strains define a fourth agr specificity group in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol., 22:6517–6522.
PalavecinoE.2007. Clinical, epidemiological and laboratory aspects of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) protocols. YinduoJi. Humana Press, 1–19.
8.
PinhoM.G.2008. Mechanisms of β-lactam and glycopeptide resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus molecular genetics. LindsayJodi A.Caister Academic Press, 207–226.
9.
KatayamaY., ItoT., HiramatsuK.2000. A new class of genetic element, Staphylococcus Cassette Chromosome mec, encodes methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 44:1549–1555.
10.
OhlsenK., EckartM., HuttingerC., ZiebuhrW.2006. Pathogenic Staphylococci: Lessons from comparative genomics, Pathogenomics: genome analysis of pathogenic microbes. HackerJ., DobrindtU.Wiley-VCH, 190–192.
11.
ItoT., KatayamaY., AsadaK.et al.2001. Structural comparison of three types of Staphylococcal Cassete Chromosome mec integrated in the chromosome in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 5:1323–1336.
12.
ItoT., MaX.X., TakeuchiF., OkumaK., YuzawaH., HiramatsuK.2004. Novel type V Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec driven by a novel Cassette Chromosome recombinase, ccrC. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 7:2637–2651.
13.
MaX.X., ItoT., TiensasitornC.et al.2002. Novel type of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec identified in community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 46:1147–1152.
14.
DesclouxS., RossanoA., PerretenV.2008. Characterization of new Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) and topoisomerase genes in fluoroquinolone and methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudointermedius. J. Clin. Microbiol., 5:1818–1823.
15.
KunyanZ., McClureJ., ElsayedS., ConlyJ.2009. Novel Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec type, tentatively designated type VIII, harboring class A mec and type 4 ccr gene complexes in Canadian epidemic strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 2:531–540.
16.
GangaR., RiedererK., SharmaM.et al.2009. Role of SCCmec type in outcome of Staphylococcus aureus bacteriemia in a single medical center. J. Clin. Microbiol., 3:590–595.
17.
MaischT., BoslC., SzeimiesR.M., LehnN., AbelsC.2005. Photodynamic effect of novel XF porphyrin derivatives on prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 4:1542–1552.
18.
GrinholcM., SzramkaB., KurlendaJ., GraczykA., BielawskiK.2008. Bactericidal effect of photodynamic inactivation against methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus is strain dependant. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B., 90:57–63.
19.
GadF., ZahraT., HasanT., HamblinR.2004. Effects of growth phase and extracellular slime on photodynamic inactivation of Gram positive pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 6:2173–2178.
20.
SzpakowskaM., LasockiK., GrzybowskiJ., GraczykA.2001. Photodynamic activity of the haematoporphyrin derivative with rutin and arginine substituents (HpD-Rut20Arg2) against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pharmacol. Res., 3:243–246.
21.
TangJ., ZhouR., ShiX., KangM., WangH., ChenH.2008. Two thermostable nuclease coexisted in Staphylococcus aureus: evidence from mutagenesis and in vitro expression. FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 2:176–183.
22.
BrakstadO.G., AasbakkK., MaelandJ.A.1992. Detection of Staphylococcus aureus by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the nuc gene. J. Clin. Microbiol., 7:1654–1660.
23.
BuzzolaF.R., AlvarezL.P., TuchscherrL.P.N.et al.2007. Differential abilities of capsulated and noncapsulated Staphylococcus aureus isolates from diverse agr groups to invade mammary epithelial cells. Infect. Immun., 2:886–981.
24.
LuP.L., ChangJ.C., HsuH.T.et al.2008. One tube multiplex PCR for simple screening of SCCmec I-V types of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J. Chemoth., 6:690–696.
25.
FrancoisP., RenziG., DidierP.et al.2004. A novel multiplex real-time PCR assay for rapid typing of major Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec elements. J. Clin. Microbiol., 7:3309–3312.
26.
OttoM.2001. Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis peptide pheromones produced by the accessory gene regulator agr system. Peptides, 22:1603–1608.
McGavinM.J.2006. Genome comparisons of diverse Staphylococcus aureus strains, Bacterial genomes and infectious diseases. ChanV.L., ShermanP.M., BourkeB.Humana Press, 191–212.
30.
JarraudS., MougelC., ThioulouseJ.et al.2002. Relationship between Staphylococcus aureus genetic background, virulence factors, agr groups (alleles) and human disease. Infect. Immun., 70:631–641.
31.
ItoT., OkumaK., MaX.X., YuzawaH., HiramatsuK.2003. Insight on antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from its whole genome: genomic island SCC. Drug Resist. Upd., 1:41–52.
32.
RobinsonD.A., EnrightM.C.2003. Evolutionary models of the emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 12:3926–3934.
33.
MilheiricoC., OliveiraD.C., deLancastreH.2007. Multiplex PCR strategy for subtyping the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IV in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: SCCmec IV multiplex. J. Antimicrob. Chemother., 60:42–48.
