Plasmid-mediated resistance to fosfomycin in Staphylococcus epidermidis

Staphylococcus epidermidis strain BM2641, isolated from a patient, was resistant to penicillin G, methicillin, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin B-type (MLS) antibiotics, and to high levels of fosmycin. Resistance to forsfomycin and/or to MLS was lost at low frequencies either spontaneously or after curing with novobiocin. The plasmid DNA from BM2641 and its cured derivatives was purified, analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and transferred to a nitrocellulose sheet. Comparative analysis of the resistance phenotypes with the plasmid content of the strains indicated that fosfomycin and MLS resistance were encoded by plasmids pIP1842 (2.5 kb) and pIP1843 (2.6 kb), respectively. Southern hybridization with a probe specific for gene fosA of Serratia marcescens showed that the fosfomycin resistance determinant in Staphylococcus is not homologous to that of Gram-negative bacteria.     

Characterization of staphylococcal plasmids hybridizing with the fosfomycin resistance gene fosB

The distribution of the fosB gene, coding for fosfomycin resistance, in 105 fosfomycin-resistant isolates of Staphylococcus from various geographical areas, was studied by Southern blot hybridization. Nucleotide sequences related to fosB were detected in 36 strains belonging to five species. Plasmids bearing fosB were often of a size similar to that of pIP1842 (2.54 kb) in S. epidermidis, most often small (2.4 to 4.1 kb) in other species including S. aureus where a 2.7-kb plasmid was found in 16 out of the 18 strains studied. The fosB gene was geographically dispersed since it was present in six different locations in France and also in Japan. The weak hybridization observed with plasmid DNA of certain strains of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus, and S. warneri may indicate gene heterogeneity for fosfomycin resistance in Staphylococcus spp.     

眼分泌物耐甲氧西林表皮葡萄球菌检测及耐药性分析

目的 探讨眼科分泌物中表皮葡萄球菌耐药特征,指导临床合理使用抗菌药物.方法 用定量接种针挑取单个菌落溶于0.5 McFarland硫酸钡接种液制成混悬液,再用接种器吸取菌液接种于Pos Combo Panel Type20,35℃孵育24 h,应用美国德灵SCAN4微生物分析仪对192株葡萄球菌中的86株表皮葡萄球菌进行鉴定和药敏试验.结果 表皮葡萄球菌检出86株,检出率为44.8％ (86/192);MRSE检出58株,检出率为30.2％ (58/192),MRSE占表皮葡萄球菌的67.4％ (58/86);MRSE对头孢西丁、青霉素、红霉素、阿莫西林/克拉维酸、头孢唑啉、复方新诺明、苯唑西林、左氧氟沙星、庆大霉素、亚胺培南具有显著耐药性,对万古霉素、利奈唑烷、利福平、四环素、氯霉素敏感.结论 眼科分泌物中表皮葡萄球菌耐药性严重,并且MRSE呈现多重耐药,医院应加强对MRSE的检测,依据药敏结果合理选用抗菌药物治疗感染.     

Cloning and expression of Staphylococcus epidermidis urease gene sequences in Staphylococcus carnosus

The urease gene sequences of Staphylococcus epidermidis CNS23 were cloned and expressed in Staphylococcus carnosus TM300. In vitro translation of the cloned sequences revealed four polypeptides (60, 17, 11 and 7.5 kDa) that were associated with enzyme activity. Southern hybridisation experiments showed high homologies with the urease genes of Staphylococcus saprophyticus.     

Analysis of pristinamycin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates in the Tunisian Bone Marrow Transplant Center

Aims: We report the analysis of genetic determinants conferring resistance to pristinamycin in Staphylococcus epidermidis strains and epidemiology typing of these strains by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis. Methods and Results: Staphylococcus epidermidis (346 isolates) were searched for strains with pristinamycin resistance. Pristinamycin‐resistant strains (seven isolates) were isolated in five patients with haematological cancer in the Bone Marrow Transplant Centre of Tunisia in 2002. Resistance to pristinamycin was observed in 2% of isolates. The seven pristinamycin‐resistant strains shared resistance to oxacillin (MIC = 8–512 μg ml^?1), gentamicin (MIC = 16–512 μg ml^?1), erythromycin (MIC > 1024 μg ml^?1), lincomycin (MIC > 1024 μg ml^?1), pristinamycin (MIC = 4–16 μg ml^?1) and rifampin (MIC = 128–256 μg ml^?1). erm genes were amplified: ermA from six strains and ermC from one. vga gene encoding streptogramins A resistance (pristinamycin résistance) was amplified from all strains and typed as vgaA by analysis after electrophoresis of restriction profiles of vga amplicons (two fragments with Sau3A of 164 and 378 bp; one fragment with EcoRI). Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of SmaI chromosomal DNA digests of the seven S. epidermidis isolates divided them into two distinct pattern types: pulsed‐field type A (classified from A1 to A6 subtypes) and type B. The six strains harbouring ermA genes belonged to the PFGE type A while the strain harbouring ermC genes belonged to the PFGE type B. We characterized an epidemic strain carrying the vgaA and ermA genes responsible for the outbreak. Conclusions: Two clones of pristinamycin‐resistant S. epidermidis were isolated in our patients. One of them, isolated in all patients, had expanded over six months suggesting acquisition by cross‐contamination. Significance and Impact of the study: Increasing isolation of pristinamycin resistant S. epidermidis strains is an alarming indicator of nosocomial dissemination. The vector will be determined to establish a system of epidemiological surveillance.     

Nucleotide sequence of the chloroplast gene responsible for triazine resistance in canola

Summary The nucleotide sequence for the psbA gene from a triazine resistant cultivar of B. napus (cv Triton) has been determined. This gene encodes an open reading frame of 353 amino acids that is highly homologous to other higher plant psbA genes at both the nucleotide and amino acid levels. As has been found for other triazine resistant psbA genes, the Triton psbA contains an A to G nucleotide change which results in a serine to glycine amino acid substitution at position 264. The B. napus psbA gene also has a G insertion at position –9 resulting in a ribosome binding site sequence (AGGA) just before the initial methionine and suggesting that the entire open reading frame is translated. A large (72 bp) insertion is also found upstream of the B. napus psbA gene which resembles a similar insertion in the mustard psbA. The uncloneable nature of the entire gene is further investigated through reconstruction experiments and the implications discussed.     

Identification of a novel antigen from Staphylococcus epidermidis

A genomic DNA library of Staphylococcus epidermidis NCTC 11047 was constructed, using the Lambda Zap Express cloning vector, and screened with serum collected from a patient with S. epidermidis endocarditis. Sequence analysis of a 30 kDa cloned protein, termed staphylococcal secretory antigen, SsaA, identified a novel protein not previously reported in S. epidermidis. SsaA showed strong homology with two other staphylococcal proteins: SceB from Staphylococcus carnosus and a staphyloxanthin biosynthesis protein from Staphylococcus aureus. Further investigation revealed SsaA to be a highly antigenic protein that was expressed in vivo and could be recovered from whole cells and from the culture supernatant. A combination of Western blot analysis and PCR screening identified SsaA or a homologue in 103/103 staphylococcal strains. SsaA-like genes were not detected in other Gram-positive bacteria of medical importance or a number of Gram-negative organisms. Elevated anti-SsaA IgG antibody levels were detected in sera of five patients with S. epidermidis endocarditis but not in patients with other S. epidermidis infections, endocarditis of other aetiologies or patients with no evidence of infection. The expression of SsaA during episodes of S. epidermidis endocarditis suggests a virulence role specific to the pathogenesis of this infectious disease.     

引发医院感染表皮葡萄球菌生物被膜的检测

为了解引发医院感染的表皮葡萄球菌中ica操纵元的存在与生物被膜的产生的关系及其对抗生素敏感性的影响,收集了引发医院感染的表葡萄球菌106株,采用定量和定性法检测生物被膜的产生,PCR法检测ica操纵元基因的存在以及测量细菌对红霉素（ERY）、氨苄青霉素（AMP）、头孢西丁（FOX）、头孢曲松（CRO）、替考拉宁（TEC）、环丙沙星（CIP）、四环素（TCY）、复方新诺明（SXT）、万古霉素（VAN）的最小抑菌浓度（MIC）;106株表皮葡萄球菌分离株中,有33株检测出icaABC（31．1％）;ica^＋菌中产膜菌的检出率高于ica^＋菌（P=0．001）;葡萄糖和NaCl可提高产膜菌的检出率;ica^＋浮游菌对红霉素,头孢西丁和头孢曲松的耐药率高于ica^＋浮游菌株,但对氨苄青霉素,环丙沙星,四环素和复方新诺明的耐药率与ica^＋菌相似;ica位点基因的存在与引发表葡菌医院感染密切相关,但生物被膜内菌耐药机制还需进一步研究。     

表皮葡萄球菌对大鼠变应原敏感性的影响

目的 筛选具有较好抑制金黄色葡萄球菌效果的表皮葡萄球菌,研究通过鼻腔进行表皮葡萄球菌调节观察大鼠对变应原敏感性的效果。方法 由鼻腔拭子稀释液分离筛选得到的9株表皮葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus epidermidis）,使用上清液抑制法选取抑制金黄色葡萄球菌效果最好的表皮葡萄球菌做体内实验。将Wistar大鼠分为阴性组、模型组、表葡调节组。模型组、表葡调节组使用OVA建立呼吸道炎症模型,使用表皮葡萄球菌DMSA16001进行滴鼻调节2周,同时用PBS进行滴鼻对照。统计抓鼻和喷嚏数,用ELISA进行肺灌洗液（BALF）和外周血IgE的检测。结果 （1）不同株的表皮葡萄球菌均对金黄色葡萄球菌有抑制作用,表皮葡萄球菌DMSA16001对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑制率最高。（2）与模型组相比,表葡调节组的抓鼻数显著下降（t=2.173,P=0.049）,喷嚏数有下降趋势,表葡调节组的肺灌洗液和外周血血清的IgE水平均呈现下降趋势。结论 对金黄色葡萄球菌有抑制作用的表皮葡萄球菌能使OVA造模的哮喘大鼠对变应原敏感性降低。     

Transposon mutagenesis in Staphylococcus epidermidis using the Enterococcus faecalis transposon Tn917

We transformed a clinical Staphylococcus epidermidis isolate with the Enterococcus faecalis transposon Tn917-carrying plasmid pTV1. Loss of plasmid replication was observed at 47 degrees C. Tn917 transposes efficiently and apparently randomly. The transposition frequency could be stimulated by erythromycin. Transposon mutagenesis in S. epidermidis provides a means for genetic study of the various virulence factors of this pathogen.     

Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the gene for a novel protein with a possible regulatory function encoded in the β operon of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract Although considerable homology exists between the translation products of the rplL, rpoB and rpoC genes of the β operons of the Gram-negative organism Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus the region between the rplL and rpoB genes is quite different in the two bacterial species. In E. coli the 324 bp has three centres of dyad symmetry in the first half of the sequence and multiple nonsense codons in all three reading frames. By contrast, the corresponding region in S. aureus consists of 1000 bp capable of forming a similar arrangement of stem-loop structures but with an open reading frame, sited 177 bp downstream of the end of rplL and 217 bp upstream of the beginning of the rpoB gene, with consensus initiation and termination signals, which if translated would generate a 22,665 Da protein with 202 amino acids. In view of the inability to find any significant homology with other proteins in the data bank and because the evidence suggests, as in E. coli , that the rplL-rpoB intergenic sequence is involved in regulation it is proposed that the expression product of orf202 may be a further element of control in the S. aureus β operon.     

Construction and overexpression in Escherichia coli of genetically engineered derivatives of penicillin-binding protein 2' of Staphylococcus epidermidis

Abstract Removal of the putative amino-terminal membrane spinning region of penicillin-binding protein 2' (PBP-2') of Staphylococcus epidermidis WT55 was carried out by truncating the amino terminus-coding end of the mecA gene, PCR and site directed mutagenesis were used to introduce unique restriction sites at position 68 ( Hin dIII) and at position 80 ( Nco I) of the mecA gene, respectively. The coupling of the shortened coding regions to the trc promoter and gene fusion to the lacZ gene, aimed to facilitate subsequent protein purifications, resulted in strong expression in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli and partial sequestration into insoluble protein granules. The truncated PBP-2' retained its penicillin-binding ability and also bound the monoclonal antibody directed against PBP-2' of Staphylococcis aureus .     

纳米银离子对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜形成过程的影响

目的探讨纳米银离子对表皮葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus epidermidis)生物膜(biofilm)形成过程的影响。方法采用摇床法,以纳米银离子含量不同的乙烯-醋酸乙烯酯(Ethylene-Vinyl acetate,EVA)塑料为细菌粘附载体,建立体外生物膜模型;将各个时间点培养好的标本放在扫描电子显微镜(Scanning Electron Microscopy,SEM)及倒置显微镜下观察空白组与纳米银离子干预组中生物膜的形成情况,并结合NIS-Element BR软件计算生物膜覆盖率(biofilm coverage rate,BCR);荧光探针SYTO9/PI标记生物膜内细菌、激光共聚焦显微镜(Confocal LaserScanning Microscopy,CLSM)结合生物膜图形结构分析软件(Image Structure Analyze,ISA)观察纳米银离子作用后各时间点生物膜的结构变化。结果 2 d组生物膜经SEM检测,纳米银离子干预组较空白对照组相比,细菌变稀疏,结构明显受到破坏。BCR检测,0.5 d时纳米银离子干预组较空白对照组相比差异没有统计学意义,但在1 d、2 d时BCR差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。CLSM结合ISA软件分析结果显示,2 d时空白对照组与0.1%纳米银离子干预组生物膜厚度、平均扩散距离(average diffusion distance,ADD)和结构熵(textual entropy,TE),分别为17.55±2.08和11.33±0.98、3.12±0.30和1.93±0.13、5.79±和3.17±0.16(P<0.05);区域孔率(Areal porosity,AP)为0.90±0.01和0.98±0.01(P<0.05)。但5 d时2组参数之间差异没有统计学意义。0.05%纳米银离子组也有相同的趋势。结论纳米银离子对表皮葡萄球菌的形成有抑制作用,但随着时间的推移,其抗菌作用逐渐减弱。高浓度组较低浓度组抗菌效果更加明显,持续时间更长。     

Anomalous growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis in the presence of Silastic and glycopeptide antibiotics

Abstract In the presence of supra-inhibitory concentrations of the glycopeptide antibiotics vancomycin and teicoplanin, biofilms of Staphylococcus epidermidis on a Silastic surface produce anomalous growwth. This takes the form of macroscopic, cohesive aggregates of cocci bound together with slime. This phenomenon was intermittent, independent of antibiotic concentrations between 20 and 50 μg ml⁻¹, occured more often with teicoplanin, and was found both with slime-negative strains.     

Dependence of Staphylococcus epidermidis on non-transferrin-bound iron for growth

The ability of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains to grow in the presence of human transferrin and varying amounts of ferric iron was studied. At initial bacterial densities up to 10(4) cfu ml(-1), none of the three strains grew when transferrin iron saturation was below the full saturation point, whereas the bacteria grew consistently when transferrin was fully iron-saturated and there was non-transferrin-bound iron in the medium. Precultivation of the bacteria under iron-restricted conditions to induce siderophore production did not abolish the growth dependence on non-transferrin-bound iron. At initial bacterial densities of 10(6) cfu ml(-1), the bacteria proliferated consistently also in the presence of partially saturated transferrin. The results indicate that at low bacterial densities, S. epidermidis cannot utilise transferrin-bound iron for growth and that its proliferation is dependent on non-transferrin-bound iron.     

连翘苷和黄芩苷对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜抑制作用的研究

目的通过中药有效成分连翘苷和黄芩苷分别对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜抑制作用的研究,为表皮葡萄球菌生物膜引起的相关感染提供新的治疗途径。方法体外构建表皮葡萄球菌生物膜,XTT减低法评价连翘苷、黄芩苷对表皮葡萄球菌初始黏附及生物膜内细菌代谢的影响,显微镜下观察用药后表皮葡萄球菌生物膜形态和结构改变。结果连翘苷和黄芩苷对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜的早期黏附均无抑制作用;连翘苷对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜菌的SMIC50为31.25μg/ml,而黄芩苷对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜菌的代谢无影响;在显微镜下观察,连翘苷使部分表皮葡萄球菌被膜的形态发生改变,而黄芩苷对其形态影响不显著。结论连翘苷对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜的初始黏附阶段无抑制作用,对生物膜菌的代谢和生物膜形态均有显著影响;黄芩苷对表皮葡萄球菌生物膜无显著作用。     

Typing of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains by random amplification of polymorphic DNA

Abstract The polymerase chain reaction was used to obtain randomly amplified polymorphic DNA profiles for typing of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. Epidemiologically unrelated S. epidermidis isolates were screened with randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. The discriminating ability of 45 randomly designed 10-mer primers was assessed. The highest discriminatory power was obtained with the 10-mer oligonucleotide OPAM-12. In typing a total of 13 unrelated S. epidermidis strains with OPAM-12,11 different banding profiles were obtained reproducibly by agarose gel electrophoresis. The discriminatory power of the method with OPAM-12 was estimated using the D value of Hunter and Gaston (1988) to be 0.961. A reproducibility index of 1 was obtained after typing a total of 40 cultures including 12 triplicates and one quadruplicate of the 13 unrelated strains. Following the described procedure, the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA method provided a rapid, simple and reproducible alternative to other S. epidermidis typing systems.     

表面活性剂溴化十六烷基吡啶对产膜表皮葡萄球菌粘附作用的影响

目的 通过表面活性剂溴化十六烷基吡啶抗表皮葡萄球菌生物被膜菌粘附作用的研究,为临床针对产膜表皮葡萄球菌引起的相关感染提供可能的探索方向和防治途径。方法 以万古霉素为阳性对照,利用XTT减低法,评价溴化十六烷基吡啶对表皮葡萄球菌初始粘附的影响。结果 浓度为4、2和1 mg/L的溴化十六烷基吡啶对表皮葡萄球菌初始粘附均有显著的抑制作用,与阴性对照组比较差异有统计学意义(t=0.4555~34.9664,P<0.01);用浓度为32、16、8和4 mg/L的溴化十六烷基吡啶对实验材料预处理后,对表皮葡萄球菌初始粘附抑制作用明显,与阴性对照组比较差异有统计学意义(t=1.1125~21.9246,P<0.001)。结论 溴化十六烷基吡啶无论是直接作用或是对实验材料预处理,对表皮葡萄球菌形成生物被膜的初始粘附过程具有显著抑制作用。     

Surface free energy and interaction of Staphylococcus epidermidis with biomaterials

The adhesion of twenty nine Staphylococcus epidermidis strains to teflon, polyethylene, polycarbonate and bovine pericardium was studied in vitro and examined in relation to the surface free energies of both bacteria and biomaterials. All S. epidermidis strains had similar surface free energies, close to that of water, and adhered better to the materials with analogous surface free energies. There was a significant correlation (Kendall's Tau B = 1000) of biomaterial's surface free energy with the number of adhering bacteria. This correlation is inverse (Kendall's Tau B = -1000) when surface hydrophobicity is considered instead of surface free energy. This indicates that in Staphylococcus epidermidis adherence to biomaterials is inversely correlated to the surface hydrophobicity of the last, being so just the opposite of that occurring with other bacteria.