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Raghuram V, Petit RA, Karol Z, Mehta R, Weissman DB, Read TD. Average nucleotide identity-based Staphylococcus aureus strain grouping allows identification of strain-specific genes in the pangenome. mSystems 2024; 9:e0014324. [PMID: 38934646 PMCID: PMC11265343 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00143-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus causes both hospital- and community-acquired infections in humans worldwide. Due to the high incidence of infection, S. aureus is also one of the most sampled and sequenced pathogens today, providing an outstanding resource to understand variation at the bacterial subspecies level. We processed and downsampled 83,383 public S. aureus Illumina whole-genome shotgun sequences and 1,263 complete genomes to produce 7,954 representative substrains. Pairwise comparison of average nucleotide identity revealed a natural boundary of 99.5% that could be used to define 145 distinct strains within the species. We found that intermediate frequency genes in the pangenome (present in 10%-95% of genomes) could be divided into those closely linked to strain background ("strain-concentrated") and those highly variable within strains ("strain-diffuse"). Non-core genes had different patterns of chromosome location. Notably, strain-diffuse genes were associated with prophages; strain-concentrated genes were associated with the vSaβ genome island and rare genes (<10% frequency) concentrated near the origin of replication. Antibiotic resistance genes were enriched in the strain-diffuse class, while virulence genes were distributed between strain-diffuse, strain-concentrated, core, and rare classes. This study shows how different patterns of gene movement help create strains as distinct subspecies entities and provide insight into the diverse histories of important S. aureus functions. IMPORTANCE We analyzed the genomic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus, a globally prevalent bacterial species that causes serious infections in humans. Our goal was to build a genetic picture of the different strains of S. aureus and which genes may be associated with them. We reprocessed >84,000 genomes and subsampled to remove redundancy. We found that individual samples sharing >99.5% of their genome could be grouped into strains. We also showed that a portion of genes that are present in intermediate frequency in the species are strongly associated with some strains but completely absent from others, suggesting a role in strain specificity. This work lays the foundation for understanding individual gene histories of the S. aureus species and also outlines strategies for processing large bacterial genomic data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Raghuram
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert A. Petit
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zach Karol
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rohan Mehta
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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2
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Bashabsheh RH, AL-Fawares O, Natsheh I, Bdeir R, Al-Khreshieh RO, Bashabsheh HH. Staphylococcus aureus epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations and application of nano-therapeutics as a promising approach to combat methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Pathog Glob Health 2024; 118:209-231. [PMID: 38006316 PMCID: PMC11221481 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2023.2285187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium and one of the most prevalent infectious disease-related causes of morbidity and mortality in adults. This pathogen can trigger a broad spectrum of diseases, from sepsis and pneumonia to severe skin infections that can be fatal. In this review, we will provide an overview of S. aureus and discuss the extensive literature on epidemiology, transmission, genetic diversity, evolution and antibiotic resistance strains, particularly methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). While many different virulence factors that S. aureus produces have been investigated as therapeutic targets, this review examines recent nanotechnology approaches, which employ materials with atomic or molecular dimensions and are being used to diagnose, treat, or eliminate the activity of S. aureus. Finally, having a deeper understanding and clearer grasp of the roles and contributions of S. aureus determinants, antibiotic resistance, and nanotechnology will aid us in developing anti-virulence strategies to combat the growing scarcity of effective antibiotics against S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghad H.F. Bashabsheh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Analysis, Faculty of Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
| | - O’la AL-Fawares
- Department of Medical Laboratory Analysis, Faculty of Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
| | - Iyad Natsheh
- Department of Allied Medical Sciences, Zarqa College, Al-Balqa Applied University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Roba Bdeir
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
| | - Rozan O. Al-Khreshieh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Analysis, Faculty of Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
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3
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Raghuram V, Petit RA, Karol Z, Mehta R, Weissman DB, Read TD. Average Nucleotide Identity based Staphylococcus aureus strain grouping allows identification of strain-specific genes in the pangenome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.29.577756. [PMID: 38352482 PMCID: PMC10862745 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.29.577756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus causes both hospital and community acquired infections in humans worldwide. Due to the high incidence of infection S. aureus is also one of the most sampled and sequenced pathogens today, providing an outstanding resource to understand variation at the bacterial subspecies level. We processed and downsampled 83,383 public S. aureus Illumina whole genome shotgun sequences and 1,263 complete genomes to produce 7,954 representative substrains. Pairwise comparison of core gene Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) revealed a natural boundary of 99.5% that could be used to define 145 distinct strains within the species. We found that intermediate frequency genes in the pangenome (present in 10-95% of genomes) could be divided into those closely linked to strain background ("strain-concentrated") and those highly variable within strains ("strain-diffuse"). Non-core genes had different patterns of chromosome location; notably, strain-diffuse associated with prophages, strain-concentrated with the vSaβ genome island and rare genes (<10% frequency) concentrated near the origin of replication. Antibiotic genes were enriched in the strain-diffuse class, while virulence genes were distributed between strain-diffuse, strain-concentrated, core and rare classes. This study shows how different patterns of gene movement help create strains as distinct subspecies entities and provide insight into the diverse histories of important S. aureus functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Raghuram
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert A Petit
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zach Karol
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rohan Mehta
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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4
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Jiang JH, Cameron DR, Nethercott C, Aires-de-Sousa M, Peleg AY. Virulence attributes of successful methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus lineages. Clin Microbiol Rev 2023; 36:e0014822. [PMID: 37982596 PMCID: PMC10732075 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00148-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of severe and often fatal infections. MRSA epidemics have occurred in waves, whereby a previously successful lineage has been replaced by a more fit and better adapted lineage. Selection pressures in both hospital and community settings are not uniform across the globe, which has resulted in geographically distinct epidemiology. This review focuses on the mechanisms that trigger the establishment and maintenance of current, dominant MRSA lineages across the globe. While the important role of antibiotic resistance will be mentioned throughout, factors which influence the capacity of S. aureus to colonize and cause disease within a host will be the primary focus of this review. We show that while MRSA possesses a diverse arsenal of toxins including alpha-toxin, the success of a lineage involves more than just producing toxins that damage the host. Success is often attributed to the acquisition or loss of genetic elements involved in colonization and niche adaptation such as the arginine catabolic mobile element, as well as the activity of regulatory systems, and shift metabolism accordingly (e.g., the accessory genome regulator, agr). Understanding exactly how specific MRSA clones cause prolonged epidemics may reveal targets for therapies, whereby both core (e.g., the alpha toxin) and acquired virulence factors (e.g., the Panton-Valentine leukocidin) may be nullified using anti-virulence strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhih-Hang Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, Infection Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David R. Cameron
- Department of Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cara Nethercott
- Department of Microbiology, Infection Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marta Aires-de-Sousa
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institutode Tecnologia Químicae Biológica António Xavier (ITQB-NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- Escola Superior de Saúde da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa-Lisboa (ESSCVP-Lisboa), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Anton Y. Peleg
- Department of Microbiology, Infection Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Ferreira RM, Dos Santos Silva DH, Silva KF, de Melo Monteiro J, Ferreira GF, Silva MRC, da Silva LCN, de Castro Oliveira L, Monteiro AS. Draft genome sequence of Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 5 SA01 isolated from bloodstream infection and comparative analysis with reference strains. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:288. [PMID: 37653266 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01204-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
A Staphylococcus aureus isolate (SA01) obtained from bloodstream infection exhibited a remarkable drug resistance profile. In this study, we report the draft genome sequence of S. aureus ST 5 SA01, a multidrug-resistant isolate, and analyzed the genes associated with drug resistance and virulence. The genome sketch of S. aureus ST5 SA01 was sequenced with Illumina and annotated using the Prokka software. Rapid Annotation Subsystem Technology (RAST) was used to verify the gene functions in the genome subsystems. The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) and Virulence Factor Database (VFDB) were used in the analysis. The RAST indicated a contribution of 25 proteins to host adenine, fibronectin-binding protein A (FnbA), and biofilm formation as an intercellular polysaccharide adhesive system (PIA). The MLST indicated that S. aureus ST 5 SA01 belongs to ST5 (CC5). In silico analyses also showed an extensive repertoire of genes associated with toxins, such as LukGH leukocidin, enterotoxins, and superantigen staphylococcal classes (SSL). The 11 genes for antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus ST 5 SA01 showed similarity and identity above ≥ 99% with nucleotide sequences deposited in GenBank. Although studies on ST5 clones in Brazil are scarce, monitoring the clone of S. aureus ST 5 SA01 is essential, as it has become a problem in pediatrics in several countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romulo Maia Ferreira
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Aplicada, Universidade CEUMA, São Luís, 65075-120, MA, Brasil
| | | | - Karinny Farias Silva
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Aplicada, Universidade CEUMA, São Luís, 65075-120, MA, Brasil
| | | | - Gabriella Freitas Ferreira
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - Campus Governador Valadares, CEP 35010-180, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil
| | | | | | - Letícia de Castro Oliveira
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal Do Triângulo Mineiro, Imunologia E Parasitologia, 38025180, Uberaba, MG, Brasil
| | - Andrea Souza Monteiro
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Aplicada, Universidade CEUMA, São Luís, 65075-120, MA, Brasil
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Hisatsune J, Koizumi Y, Tanimoto K, Sugai M. Diversity and Standard Nomenclature of Staphylococcus aureus Hyaluronate Lyases HysA and HysB. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0052423. [PMID: 37358453 PMCID: PMC10434019 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00524-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial hyaluronate lyases (Hys) are enzymes that degrade hyaluronic acid in their host and are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of several illnesses. The first two identified Hys genes in Staphylococcus aureus were registered as hysA1 and hysA2. However, their annotations have been mistakenly reversed in some registered assembly data, and different abbreviations (hysA and hysB) in some reports complicates comparative analysis of Hys proteins. We investigated the hys loci of S. aureus genome sequences registered in public databases, analyzed the homology, and defined hysA as hys located in the core genome surrounded by a lactose metabolic operon and a ribosomal protein cluster present in almost all strains and hysB as that located on the genomic island νSaβ of the accessory genome. Homology analysis of the amino acid sequences of HysA and HysB revealed that they are conserved among clonal complex (CC) groups with a few exceptions. Thus, we propose a new nomenclature for S. aureus Hys subtypes: HysACC*** for HysA and HysBCC*** for HysB, with the asterisks representing the clonal complex number of the S. aureus strain producing the Hys subtype. The application of this proposed nomenclature will facilitate the intuitive, straightforward, and unambiguous designation of Hys subtypes and contribute to enhancing comparative studies in this regard. IMPORTANCE Numerous whole-genome sequence data for Staphylococcus aureus harboring two hyaluronate lyase (Hys) genes have been registered. However, the assigned gene names for hysA1 and hysA2 are incorrect in some assembled data, and in some cases, the genes are annotated differently as hysA and hysB. This creates confusion with respect to the nomenclature of Hys subtypes and complicates analysis involving Hys. In this study, we compared the homology of Hys subtypes and observed that to some extent, their amino acid sequences are conserved in each clonal complex group. Hys has been implicated as an important virulence factor, but relative sequence heterogeneity among S. aureus clones raises the question of whether Hys activities are different among these clones. Our proposed Hys nomenclature will facilitate comparison of the virulence of Hys, as well as discussions of the subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzo Hisatsune
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Antimicrobial Resistance, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuma Koizumi
- Department of Antimicrobial Resistance, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Developmental Biology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kotaro Tanimoto
- Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Developmental Biology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Sugai
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Antimicrobial Resistance, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
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7
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Patel H, Rawat S. A genetic regulatory see-saw of biofilm and virulence in MRSA pathogenesis. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1204428. [PMID: 37434702 PMCID: PMC10332168 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1204428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common opportunistic human pathogens causing several infectious diseases. Ever since the emergence of the first methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain decades back, the organism has been a major cause of hospital-acquired infections (HA-MRSA). The spread of this pathogen across the community led to the emergence of a more virulent subtype of the strain, i.e., Community acquired Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Hence, WHO has declared Staphylococcus aureus as a high-priority pathogen. MRSA pathogenesis is remarkable because of the ability of this "superbug" to form robust biofilm both in vivo and in vitro by the formation of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), extracellular DNA (eDNA), wall teichoic acids (WTAs), and capsule (CP), which are major components that impart stability to a biofilm. On the other hand, secretion of a diverse array of virulence factors such as hemolysins, leukotoxins, enterotoxins, and Protein A regulated by agr and sae two-component systems (TCS) aids in combating host immune response. The up- and downregulation of adhesion genes involved in biofilm formation and genes responsible for synthesizing virulence factors during different stages of infection act as a genetic regulatory see-saw in the pathogenesis of MRSA. This review provides insight into the evolution and pathogenesis of MRSA infections with a focus on genetic regulation of biofilm formation and virulence factors secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seema Rawat
- Microbiology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
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Cavaiuolo M, Lefebvre D, Mutel I, Vingadassalon N, Merda D, Hennekinne JA, Nia Y. First report of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus argenteus as a foodborne pathogen. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 394:110182. [PMID: 36965358 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcal enterotoxins preformed in food are the causative agents of staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks (SFPO). In this study we characterised in depth two coagulase-positive non-pigmented staphylococci involved in two independent outbreaks that occurred in France. While indistinguishable from Staphylococcus aureus using PCR methods and growth phenotype comparisons, both isolates were identified as Staphylococcus argenteus by whole genome sequencing. The genomes were analysed for the presence of enterotoxin genes, whose expression was determined in laboratory medium and, for the first time, in artificially-contaminated milk samples by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and ELISA methods. The concentration measured for the SEB toxin in milk (0.67 ng/ml) was comparable to concentrations reported for other types of enterotoxins behind SFPO. From a collection of publicly available genomes, we performed an unprecedented systematic investigation of the enterotoxin gene set of S. argenteus, including variants and pseudogenes. The most prevalent genes were sex, followed by sel26, sel27 and sey. The egc cluster was less frequent and most of the time carried a dysfunctional seg gene. Our results shed light on the enterotoxigenic properties of S. argenteus, and emphasize the importance in monitoring of S. argenteus as an emerging foodborne pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Cavaiuolo
- University Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, SBCL Unit, Maisons-Alfort location, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Donatien Lefebvre
- University Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, SBCL Unit, Maisons-Alfort location, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Isabelle Mutel
- University Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, SBCL Unit, Maisons-Alfort location, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Noémie Vingadassalon
- University Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, SBCL Unit, Maisons-Alfort location, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Déborah Merda
- University Paris Est, ANSES, SPAAD unit, Maisons-Alfort location, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jacques-Antoine Hennekinne
- University Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, SBCL Unit, Maisons-Alfort location, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Yacine Nia
- University Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, SBCL Unit, Maisons-Alfort location, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
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Bianco CM, Moustafa AM, O’Brien K, Martin MA, Read TD, Kreiswirth BN, Planet PJ. Pre-epidemic evolution of the MRSA USA300 clade and a molecular key for classification. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1081070. [PMID: 36761897 PMCID: PMC9902376 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1081070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction USA300 has remained the dominant community and healthcare associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone in the United States and in northern South America for at least the past 20 years. In this time, it has experienced epidemic spread in both of these locations. However, its pre-epidemic evolutionary history and origins are incompletely understood. Large sequencing databases, such as NCBI, PATRIC, and Staphopia, contain clues to the early evolution of USA300 in the form of sequenced genomes of USA300 isolates that are representative of lineages that diverged prior to the establishment of the South American epidemic (SAE) clade and North American epidemic (NAE) clade. In addition, historical isolates collected prior to the emergence of epidemics can help reconstruct early events in the history of this lineage. Methods Here, we take advantage of the accrued, publicly available data, as well as two newly sequenced pre-epidemic historical isolates from 1996, and a very early diverging ACME-negative NAE genome, to understand the pre-epidemic evolution of USA300. We use database mining techniques to emphasize genomes similar to pre-epidemic isolates, with the goal of reconstructing the early molecular evolution of the USA300 lineage. Results Phylogenetic analysis with these genomes confirms that the NAE and SAE USA300 lineages diverged from a most recent common ancestor around 1970 with high confidence, and it also pinpoints the independent acquisition events of the of the ACME and COMER loci with greater precision than in previous studies. We provide evidence for a North American origin of the USA300 lineage and identify multiple introductions of USA300 into South and North America. Notably, we describe a third major USA300 clade (the pre-epidemic branching clade; PEB1) consisting of both MSSA and MRSA isolates circulating around the world that diverged from the USA300 lineage prior to the establishment of the South and North American epidemics. We present a detailed analysis of specific sequence characteristics of each of the major clades, and present diagnostic positions that can be used to classify new genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen M. Bianco
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ahmed M. Moustafa
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kelsey O’Brien
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael A. Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases & Department of Human Genetics Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases & Department of Human Genetics Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Barry N. Kreiswirth
- Center for Discovery & Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, United States
| | - Paul J. Planet
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States,American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Paul J. Planet,
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10
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Nemati G, Romanó A, Wahl F, Berger T, Rojo LV, Graber HU. Bovine Staphylococcus aureus: a European study of contagiousness and antimicrobial resistance. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1154550. [PMID: 37206433 PMCID: PMC10188956 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1154550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In dairy herds managements, mastitis is the leading cause of economic losses. One of the most important pathogens responsible for intra-mammary infections is Staphylococcus aureus. The genetic properties of S. aureus have a strong influence on its pathogenicity and contagiousness. In this study, we aimed to obtain a comprehensive overview of the key bovine S. aureus clinical properties, such as contagiousness and antimicrobial resistance, present in European strains. For this, 211 bovine S. aureus strains from ten European countries that were used in a previous study were used in this study. Contagiousness was assessed using qPCR for the detection of the marker gene adlb. Antimicrobial resistance was evaluated using a broth microdilution assay and mPCR for the detection of genes involved in penicillin resistance (blaI, blaR1, and blaZ). It was found that adlb was present in CC8/CLB strains; however, in Germany, it was found in CC97/CLI and in an unknown CC/CLR strains. CC705/CLC strains from all countries were found to be susceptible to all tested antibiotics. Major resistance to penicillin/ampicillin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin and tetracycline was detected. Resistance to oxacillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and cephalosporins was rarely observed. In addition, contagiousness and antibiotic resistance seem to correlate with different CCs and genotypic clusters. Hence, it is recommended that multilocus sequence typing or genotyping be utilized as a clinical instrument to identify the most appropriate antibiotic to use in mastitis treatment. Actualization of the breakpoints of veterinary strains is necessary to address the existing antibiotic resistance of the bacteria involved in veterinary mastitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazal Nemati
- Food Microbial Systems, Risk Assessment and Mitigation Group, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
- Food Microbial Systems, Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origin Group, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Ghazal Nemati
| | - Alicia Romanó
- Food Microbial Systems, Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origin Group, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Wahl
- Food Microbial Systems, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Berger
- Food Microbial Systems, Risk Assessment and Mitigation Group, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura Vazquez Rojo
- Food Microbial Systems, Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origin Group, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hans Ulrich Graber
- Food Microbial Systems, Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origin Group, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
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11
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In Silico Genome-Scale Analysis of Molecular Mechanisms Contributing to the Development of a Persistent Infection with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST239. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232416086. [PMID: 36555727 PMCID: PMC9781258 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232416086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing frequency of isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) limits the chances for the effective antibacterial therapy of staphylococcal diseases and results in the development of persistent infection such as bacteremia and osteomyelitis. The aim of this study was to identify features of the MRSAST239 0943-1505-2016 (SA943) genome that contribute to the formation of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal infections. The analysis was performed using comparative genomics data of the dominant epidemic S. aureus lineages, namely ST1, ST8, ST30, ST36, and ST239. The SA943 genome encodes proteins that provide resistance to the host's immune system, suppress immunological memory, and form biofilms. The molecular mechanisms of adaptation responsible for the development of persistent infection were as follows: amino acid substitution in PBP2 and PBP2a, providing resistance to ceftaroline; loss of a large part of prophage DNA and restoration of the nucleotide sequence of beta-hemolysin, that greatly facilitates the escape of phagocytosed bacteria from the phagosome and formation of biofilms; dysfunction of the AgrA system due to the presence of psm-mec and several amino acid substitutions in the AgrC; partial deletion of the nucleotide sequence in genomic island vSAβ resulting in the loss of two proteases of Spl-operon; and deletion of SD repeats in the SdrE amino acid sequence.
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Ivanovic I, Boss R, Romanò A, Guédon E, Le-Loir Y, Luini M, Graber H. Penicillin resistance in bovine Staphylococcus aureus: Genomic evaluation of the discrepancy between phenotypic and molecular test methods. J Dairy Sci 2022; 106:462-475. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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First Genome-Based Characterisation and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Production Ability of Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Ready-to-Eat Foods in Algiers (Algeria). Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14110731. [PMID: 36355981 PMCID: PMC9694651 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14110731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic microorganism of humans and animals, able to cause foodborne intoxication due to the production of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) and to resist antibiotic treatment as in the case of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). In this study, we performed a genomic characterisation of 12 genetically diverse S. aureus strains isolated from ready-to-eat foods in Algiers (Algeria). Moreover, their ability to produce some classical and new staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) was investigated. The 12 S. aureus strains resulted to belong to nine known sequence types (STs) and to the novel ST7199 and ST7200. Furthermore, S. aureus SA46 was assigned to the European clone MRSA-ST80-SCCmec-IV. The 12 strains showed a wide endowment of se and sel (staphylococcal enterotoxin-like toxin) genes (sea, seb, sed, seg, seh, sei, selj, sek, sem, sen, seo, seq, ser, selu2, selw, selx, sey, sel30; ψent1-ψent2), including variants and pseudogenes, and harboured the enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) types 1 and 5. Additionally, they produced various amounts of SEA (64.54-345.02 ng/mL), SEB (2871.28-14739.17 ng/mL), SED (322.70-398.94 ng/mL), SEH (not detectable-239.48 ng/mL), and SER (36,720.10-63,176.06 ng/mL) depending on their genotypes. The genetic determinants related to their phenotypic resistance to β-lactams (blaZ, mecA), ofloxacin (gyrA-S84L), erythromycin (ermB), lincomycin (lmrS), kanamycin (aph(3')-III, ant(6)-I), and tetracyclin (tet(L), tet(38)) were also detected. A plethora of virulence-related genes, including major virulence genes such as the tst gene, determinant for the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, and the lukF-PV and lukS-PV genes, encoding the panton-valentine leukocidin (PVL), were present in the S. aureus strains, highlighting their pathogenic potential. Furthermore, a phylogenomic reconstruction including worldwide foodborne S. aureus showed a clear clustering based on ST and geographical origin rather than the source of isolation.
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Cheung GYC, Bae JS, Otto M. Pathogenicity and virulence of Staphylococcus aureus. Virulence 2021; 12:547-569. [PMID: 33522395 PMCID: PMC7872022 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1878688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 457] [Impact Index Per Article: 152.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most frequent worldwide causes of morbidity and mortality due to an infectious agent. This pathogen can cause a wide variety of diseases, ranging from moderately severe skin infections to fatal pneumonia and sepsis. Treatment of S. aureus infections is complicated by antibiotic resistance and a working vaccine is not available. There has been ongoing and increasing interest in the extraordinarily high number of toxins and other virulence determinants that S. aureus produces and how they impact disease. In this review, we will give an overview of how S. aureus initiates and maintains infection and discuss the main determinants involved. A more in-depth understanding of the function and contribution of S. aureus virulence determinants to S. aureus infection will enable us to develop anti-virulence strategies to counteract the lack of an anti-S. aureus vaccine and the ever-increasing shortage of working antibiotics against this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Y. C. Cheung
- Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Justin S. Bae
- Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Otto
- Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Umeda K, Ono HK, Wada T, Motooka D, Nakamura S, Nakamura H, Hu DL. High production of egc2-related staphylococcal enterotoxins caused a food poisoning outbreak. Int J Food Microbiol 2021; 357:109366. [PMID: 34454396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2021.109366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) produced by enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in food cause staphylococcal food poisoning. We recently reported a foodborne outbreak due to S. aureus harboring new SE/SE-like (SEl) genes (seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and selu) related to enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) 2 as with other research groups. However, the pathogenicity of SEs production remains unclear. Therefore, we herein investigated egc2-related SEs production from S. aureus isolates and leftover food items during a foodborne outbreak using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay suitable for the quantification of SEs. S. aureus isolates produced markedly high levels of egc2-related SEs, and the leftover food item "Sushi" contained SEs over the toxin dose that causes food poisoning symptoms. A representative isolate was subjected to whole-genome sequencing. The isolate was homologous with previously reported ST45 strains, particularly the unique genomic island νSaβ structure mostly consisting of egc2. The present study indicates that egc2-related SEs are food poisoning causative agents based on high SE production levels within an actual foodborne outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Umeda
- Division of Microbiology, Osaka Institute of Public Health, 8-34 Tojo-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0026, Japan.
| | - Hisaya K Ono
- Laboratory of Zoonoses, Kitasato University School of Veterinary Medicine, 23-35-1 Higashi, Towada City, Aomori 034-8628, Japan
| | - Takayuki Wada
- Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
| | - Daisuke Motooka
- Genome Information Research Center, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shota Nakamura
- Genome Information Research Center, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiromi Nakamura
- Division of Microbiology, Osaka Institute of Public Health, 8-34 Tojo-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0026, Japan
| | - Dong-Liang Hu
- Laboratory of Zoonoses, Kitasato University School of Veterinary Medicine, 23-35-1 Higashi, Towada City, Aomori 034-8628, Japan
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Park S, Ronholm J. Staphylococcus aureus in Agriculture: Lessons in Evolution from a Multispecies Pathogen. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e00182-20. [PMID: 33568553 PMCID: PMC7950364 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00182-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a formidable bacterial pathogen that is responsible for infections in humans and various species of wild, companion, and agricultural animals. The ability of S. aureus to move between humans and livestock is due to specific characteristics of this bacterium as well as modern agricultural practices. Pathoadaptive clonal lineages of S. aureus have emerged and caused significant economic losses in the agricultural sector. While humans appear to be a primary reservoir for S. aureus, the continued expansion of the livestock industry, globalization, and ubiquitous use of antibiotics has increased the dissemination of pathoadaptive S. aureus in this environment. This review comprehensively summarizes the available literature on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, genomics, antibiotic resistance (ABR), and clinical manifestations of S. aureus infections in domesticated livestock. The availability of S. aureus whole-genome sequence data has provided insight into the mechanisms of host adaptation and host specificity. Several lineages of S. aureus are specifically adapted to a narrow host range on a short evolutionary time scale. However, on a longer evolutionary time scale, host-specific S. aureus has jumped the species barrier between livestock and humans in both directions several times. S. aureus illustrates how close contact between humans and animals in high-density environments can drive evolution. The use of antibiotics in agriculture also drives the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, making the possible emergence of human-adapted ABR strains from agricultural practices concerning. Addressing the concerns of ABR S. aureus, without negatively affecting agricultural productivity, is a challenging priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoun Park
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jennifer Ronholm
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
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Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Gene Cluster: Prediction of Enterotoxin (SEG and SEI) Production and of the Source of Food Poisoning on the Basis of vSaβ Typing. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0266220. [PMID: 33355100 PMCID: PMC8090894 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02662-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Besides the infection properties in human and animals, S. aureus can produce different enterotoxins in food. The enterotoxins can cause vomiting and diarrhea, often involving many people. Currently, only 5 (SEA to SEE) out of 27 known staphylococcal enterotoxins can be analyzed using commercially available kits. Six genes (seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu), encoding putative and undetectable enterotoxins, are located on the enterotoxin gene cluster (egc), which is part of the Staphylococcus aureus genomic island vSaβ. These enterotoxins have been described as likely being involved in staphylococcal food-poisoning outbreaks. The aim of the present study was to determine if whole-genome data can be used for the prediction of staphylococcal egc enterotoxin production, particularly enterotoxin G (SEG) and enterotoxin I (SEI). For this purpose, whole-genome sequences of 75 Staphylococcus aureus strains from different origins (food-poisoning outbreaks, human, and animal) were investigated by applying bioinformatics methods (phylogenetic analysis using the core genome and different alignments). SEG and SEI expression was tested in vitro using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Strains could be allocated to 14 different vSaβ types, each type being associated with a single clonal complex (CC). In addition, the vSaβ type and CC were associated with the origin of the strain (human or cattle derived). The amount of SEG and SEI produced also correlated with the vSaβ type and the CC of a strain. The present results show promising indications that the in vitro production of SEG and SEI can be predicted based on the vSaβ type or CC of a strain. IMPORTANCE Besides having infectious properties in human and animals, S. aureus can produce different enterotoxins in food. The enterotoxins can cause vomiting and diarrhea, often involving many people. Most of these outbreaks remain undiscovered, as detection methods for enterotoxins are only available for a few enterotoxins but not for the more recently discovered enterotoxins G (SEG) and I (SEI). In this study, we show promising results that in vitro production of SEG and SEI can be predicted based on the whole-genome sequencing data of a strain. In addition, these data could be used to find the source (human or cattle derived) of an outbreak strain, which is the key for a better understanding of the role SEG and SEI play in foodborne outbreaks caused by S. aureus.
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