Staphylococcus aureus as an infectious agent: overview of biochemistry and molecular genetics of its pathogenicity.

Abstract

Although it is estimated that 20-30% of the general human population are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus, this bacterium is one of the most important etiological agents responsible for healthcare-associated infections. The appearance of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains has created serious therapeutical problems. Detailed understanding of the mechanisms of S. aureus infections seems necessary to develop new effective therapies against this pathogen. In this article, we present an overview of the biochemical and genetic mechanisms of pathogenicity of S. aureus strains. Virulence factors, organization of the genome and regulation of expression of genes involved in virulence, and mechanisms leading to methicilin resistance are presented and briefly discussed.

Prevalence of the Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Coagulase-Positive-and Negative-Staphylococcus in Chicken Meat Retailed to Consumers

“…Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) are some of the prominent pathogens that cause a wide variety of infections in humans and animals (Venkatesh et al, 2006; van Loo et al, 2007; Plata et al, 2009; Cuny et al, 2010; Gould, 2010; Grundmann et al, 2010). It should be emphasized that the present investigation highlights the importance of a sustainable surveillance program for any signs of vancomycin resistance emergence in Egypt concerning the medical and veterinary health condition in conjunction to typing and origin of the isolates.…”

Evaluation of procedures for decontaminating ultrasound probes

“…B. subtilis is not a human pathogen, but B. cereus causes various infectious diseases, such as food poisoning, bacteremia, meningitis, pneumonia, and endocarditis [10]. S. aureus is one of the most important pyogenic bacteria [11], and MRSA is an especially dangerous pathogen because it is resistant to many antibiotics [12]. Therefore, the transmission of these bacteria via ultrasound probes must be prevented.…”

Inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus by high pressure processing: An overview

“…It produces a vast diversity of exoproteins (such as hemolysins, nucleases, proteases, lipases, hyaluronidase and collagenase) which grant the ability to colonize host tissues and also produces other exoproteins that contribute to its capacity to cause disease and to inhibit the host immune responses (such as toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, staphylococcal enterotoxins, exfoliative toxins and leukocidin) (Dinges, Orwin, & Schlievert, 2000;Foster, 2004). The genes encoding these virulence factors are regulated in a coordinated mode, revealing the strategy of this pathogen to initially establishing itself in the host and, afterwards, causing disease (Plata, Rosato, & Wegrzyn, 2009). …”

“…As a result, it is able to cause a wide range of infections in humans, including folliculitis, furunculosis, boils, impetigo, cellulitis, sepsis, deep abscesses, necrotizing pneumonia, osteomyelitis, infective endocarditis, urinary tract infections and infections of the central nervous, but also toxic shock syndrome and even food poisoning frequently transmitted through food consumption (Plata et al, 2009;van Belkum et al, 2009;Wertheim et al, 2005).…”