| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (1999) 43, 15-22
© 1999 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
The distribution of mecA, mecR1 and mecI and sequence analysis of mecI and the mec promoter region in staphylococci expressing resistance to methicillin
Department of Medical Microbiology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN, UK
The presence and sequences of genes that regulate the expression of methicillin resistance was investigated in 42 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and 102 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). PCR was used to detect mecA and the regulatory genes mecR1 and mecI. In a selected group of isolates, the sequences of mecl and the mecpromoter region were also determined and compared with the sequences obtained from pre-MRSA strain N315. The genetic diversity of the collection was assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). mecA was present in 21 S. aureus and 44 CNS. mecR1 was associated with mecA in all S. aureus and in all CNS, except two isolates of Staphylococcus haemolyticus. mecI was present in 48% of mecA-positive S. aureus and 50% of mecA-positive CNS. In six S. aureus isolates, mecI contained a termination codon at nucleotide 202 which would truncate the MecI protein. No mutation was found in the mecI gene of the four other S. aureus and 15 CNS sequenced. Seven isolates of Staphylococcus simulans had a single nucleotide substitution in the mec promoter region. Expression of methicillin resistance could be explained for all mecA-positive staphylococci with mutations within mecI or in the mec promoter region or in which mecI was deleted. However, the wild type sequences observed in four S. aureus and eight CNS suggest that there is another mechanism for overcoming the repression of resistance caused by mecI.
* Correspondence address: Department of Medical Microbiology, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK. Tel: +44-121-507-5742; Fax: +44-121-551- 7763
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J.-S. Moon, A.-R. Lee, H.-M. Kang, E.-S. Lee, M.-N. Kim, Y. H. Paik, Y. H. Park, Y.-S. Joo, and H. C. Koo Phenotypic and Genetic Antibiogram of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci Isolated from Bovine Mastitis in Korea J Dairy Sci, March 1, 2007; 90(3): 1176 - 1185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Perichon and P. Courvalin Synergism between {beta}-Lactams and Glycopeptides against VanA-Type Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Heterologous Expression of the vanA Operon Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., November 1, 2006; 50(11): 3622 - 3630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Garcia-Castellanos, G. Mallorqui-Fernandez, A. Marrero, J. Potempa, M. Coll, and F. X. Gomis-Ruth On the Transcriptional Regulation of Methicillin Resistance: MecI REPRESSOR IN COMPLEX WITH ITS OPERATOR J. Biol. Chem., April 23, 2004; 279(17): 17888 - 17896. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Severin, K. Tabei, F. Tenover, M. Chung, N. Clarke, and A. Tomasz High Level Oxacillin and Vancomycin Resistance and Altered Cell Wall Composition in Staphylococcus aureus Carrying the Staphylococcal mecA and the Enterococcal vanA Gene Complex J. Biol. Chem., January 30, 2004; 279(5): 3398 - 3407. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Watson, R. Givney, M. Beard-Pegler, B. Rose, J. Merlino, A. Vickery, T. Gottlieb, R. Bradbury, and C. Harbour Comparative Analysis of Multidrug-Resistant, Non-Multidrug-Resistant, and Archaic Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Central Sydney, Australia J. Clin. Microbiol., February 1, 2003; 41(2): 867 - 872. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Katayama, T. Ito, and K. Hiramatsu Genetic Organization of the Chromosome Region Surrounding mecA in Clinical Staphylococcal Strains: Role of IS431-Mediated mecI Deletion in Expression of Resistance in mecA-Carrying, Low-Level Methicillin- Resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., July 1, 2001; 45(7): 1955 - 1963. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. Petinaki, A. Arvaniti, G. Dimitracopoulos, and I. Spiliopoulou Detection of mecA, mecR1 and mecI genes among clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant staphylococci by combined polymerase chain reactions J. Antimicrob. Chemother., March 1, 2001; 47(3): 297 - 304. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. R. Nimmo, J. Schooneveldt, G. O'Kane, B. McCall, and A. Vickery Community Acquisition of Gentamicin-Sensitive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Southeast Queensland, Australia J. Clin. Microbiol., November 1, 2000; 38(11): 3926 - 3931. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.-O. Galdbart, A. Morvan, and N. El Solh Phenotypic and Molecular Typing of Nosocomial Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Susceptible to Gentamicin Isolated in France from 1995 to 1997 J. Clin. Microbiol., January 1, 2000; 38(1): 185 - 190. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|