Staphylococcus aureus coa gene sequence analysis can prevent misidentification of coagulase-negative strains and contribute to their control in dairy cow herds

Accurate and precise differentiation of staphylococci isolated from milk is of importance for udder health management. In particular, the rapid and specific identification of Staphylococcus aureus plays an essential role in the prevention and treatment programs for bovine mastitis. Plasma gelatinization in coagulase assays is routinely used to discriminate S. aureus from other species by detecting the presence of extracellular free staphylocoagulase. However, rarely occurring coagulase-deficient S. aureus strains can be responsible for clinical and subclinical mastitis cases. By investigating S. aureus isolates from a single herd over a 10-year period we identified the persistence of a phenotypically coagulase-negative S. aureus strain and pinpointed the possible cause to a single base pair deletion in the coa gene sequence. Our results support the need to integrate primary biochemical tests with molecular/sequence analysis approaches for correctly identifying and discriminating atypical S. aureus in bovine herds, as the coagulase test alone may fail to detect persistent mastitis-causing strains.

Detection of coagulase gene in Staphylococcus aureus from several dairy farms in East Java, Indonesia, by polymerase chain reaction

Aim:

This study was conducted to study the coagulase (coa) gene-based genetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from different samples of cattle from three different regions in East Java Province, Indonesia.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 160 raw milk samples collected in East Java Province, Indonesia, were screened for the presence of S. aureus. The presumptive isolates were confirmed by coa test. The confirmed S. aureus isolates were subjected to coa gene polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

Of 160 different samples, 20 (12.5%) isolates of S. aureus were confirmed by positive coa test. Of 20 S. aureus isolates, 19 (95%) isolates carried coa gene. Six different genotypes of coa gene, i.e., 440 bp, 510 bp, 547 bp, 680 bp, 740 bp, and 820 bp were obtained. One coa genotypes, 510 bp (10 isolates) were observed in polymorphism to be more prevalent than the others, and the genotype was present in at least one isolates from every region.

Conclusion:

It can be concluded that coa gene is easily epidemiological tool for detection of variation strain from S. aureus.

Cross-priming amplification targeting the coagulase gene for rapid detection of coagulase-positive Staphylococci

AIMS

To develop and evaluate cross-priming amplification (CPA) combined with immuno-blotting for the detection of coagulase-positive Staphylococci including Staphylococcus aureus.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Twenty-four sets of cross and detection primers were designed according to four sequences of coagulase gene in Staph. aureus. The most specific primer pair was screened out for the next amplification and interaction. The specificity was evaluated in a total of 53 species of Staph. aureus and non-Staph. aureus. Two red lines indicating positive were always observed on the BioHelix Express strip for 12 subspecies of Staph. aureus. In contrast, only one signal line showing negative results was detected in all of non-Staph. aureus samples. The limit of detection (LOD) of CPA was 3·6 ± 2·7 fg for the genomic DNA, which is about 100 and 10 times sensitive than those of PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification respectively. For the pure culture of Staph. aureus and milk powders, the LODs of CPA were about 1·34 CFU per reaction and 5·2 ± 3·7 CFU per 100 g of milk powder respectively. The CPA method was also successfully applied to evaluate the contamination of Staph. aureus in 318 samples of daily food.

CONCLUSIONS

CPA is a very sensitive and rapid method to detect Staph. aureus by simple laboratory instrument.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

It is the first report on the application of the CPA with immuno-blotting for detection of coagulase-positive Staphylococci including Staph. aureus.