Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated in Poland in 1996 to 2004 That Were Deficient in Species-Specific Proteins

Abstract

One hundred seventy Staphylococcus aureus isolates, collected in 1996 to 2004, were reidentified by phenotypic and genotypic methods. One hundred ten of these (65%) were confirmed, as previously denoted, to be clumping factor (CF)-or free coagulase-deficient S. aureus, based on their phenotype. Based on the CF or coagulase production, three groups of phenotypically deficient S. aureus isolates were distinguished. Group 1 encompassed CF-positive and coagulase-deficient isolates, group 2 consisted of CF-deficient and coagulasepositive isolates, and group 3 included isolates that were CF positive, had delayed coagulase activity, and were deficient in other species-specific features. All investigated strains harbored the clfA, clfB, coa, spa, and nuc genes, but the presence of their products was not detected by the phenotypic methods. Glycopeptide susceptibility testing showed that 26 isolates (23.6%) were hetero-glycopeptide-intermediate S. aureus (hGISA) or hetero-teicoplanin-intermediate S. aureus (hTISA), based on the population analysis profile. The relatedness of the isolates was evaluated by multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing. The phenotypically deficient S. aureus isolates were classified into PFGE types B (ST239-III) and D (ST246-IA) and were related to the common clones, Hungarian and Iberian, respectively, which have been widely disseminated in Poland and globally. The simultaneous occurrence of hGISA/hTISA and the CF-deficient phenotypes was found for 62.1% of isolates belonging to group 2. The majority of these isolates were assigned to the Iberian clone (PFGE type D; ST247-IA). An association between the defect in coagulase and that in thermonuclease production was observed, which concerned 59.2% of isolates of group 1. The majority of these isolates belonged to the Hungarian clone (PFGE type B; ST239-III).

Countrywide Molecular Survey of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Poland

“…Three of the isolates were characterized by agr type I, whereas one isolate of ST8-II was characterized by agr type II. These results were similar to those described previously by Howe et al (21), who demonstrated that hGISA/GISA strains emerged from lineages with agr types I and II (27,31).…”

“…One major change in the resistance profile of the MRSA population compared to that of the study carried out from 1999 to 2000 was the presence of four (1.9%) hGISA isolates. These have emerged from three different clones belonging to ST247-IB, ST239-IIIA/C, and ST8-II in contrast to earlier Polish isolates that belonged mainly to ST247-IA (27,31). Three of the isolates were characterized by agr type I, whereas one isolate of ST8-II was characterized by agr type II.…”

Characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus aureus – like strains isolated from table eggs

“…In recent years, several authors reported a significant role of atypical (freecoagulase negative) S. aureus infections in animals and humans. The incidence of coagulase-or CF-deficient strains is estimated to be between 1% and 20%, or between 5% and 15%, respectively, of all S. aureus isolates (16). Available data indicates that these organisms are often aetiological agents in subclinical form of udder inflammations in cattle (18).…”

Screening of virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from rabbits

“…Adhesins coa, spa, clfA, clfB, fib, sdrC and map/eap were positive in all the rabbit S. aureus isolates analysed in this study. These adhesins are specific to S. aureus, secreted by all S. aureus isolates and can be used for the identification of this bacterium (Boden Wastfelt and Flock, 1995;Josefsson et al, 1998;Luczak-Kadlubowska et al, 2006;Hussain et al, 2008). Moreover, ebpS, fnbA and icaA were positive in all the analysed isolates.…”