Summary. Strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Australia and the UK were compared by digesting their chromosomal DNA with the low-frequencycutting restriction enzyme SmaI and separating the restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) electrophoresis. The numbers of restriction fragments produced were in the range 14-17 and the sizes of the bands were 7-700 kb. Generally, the results confirmed previous conclusions based on antimicrobial resistance and plasmid profiles. The earlier MRSA isolates were different from more recent isolates, and the epidemic MRSA from eastern Australia (EA MRSA) was the same as the epidemic MRSA (EMRSA) found in London hospitals. However, contrary to previous results, the EA MRSA did not constitute a homogeneous group. The results showed that comparison of RFLPs by CHEF electrophoresis is a useful technique for studying the epidemiology of MRSA.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.