Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yu-Ching Liu, Jang-Jih Lu, Lee-Chung Lin, Hsiao-Chuan Lin, Chao-Jung Chen
Summary: The rapid identification of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA), and vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) is crucial for accurate treatment, timely intervention, and outbreak prevention. Proteomics analysis of 90 S. aureus isolates led to the discovery of protein biomarkers that can discriminate among MSSA, hVISA, and VISA strains, with two VISA, two hVISA, and one MSSA protein biomarkers identified and verified for high sensitivities and specificities. Data is available via MassIVE with identifier MSV000085776.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kristina D. D. Hinman, Sonia S. S. Laforce-Nesbitt, Joshua T. T. Cohen, Miles Mundy, Joseph M. M. Bliss, Alexander R. R. Horswill, Craig T. T. Lefort
Summary: Techniques for studying bacterial infection clearance are critical for understanding diseases, immune cell functions, and antimicrobial therapeutics. This study develops a bi-fluorescent assay to monitor Staphylococcus aureus killing by neutrophils in vivo. The use of a stable secondary fluorescent marker allows for the separation of infected cell samples and evaluation of neutrophil function in a murine model of chronic granulomatous disease.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Alina Dietrich, Ursula Steffens, Mike Gajdiss, Anna-Lena Boschert, Jana Katharina Droege, Christiane Szekat, Peter Sass, Imran T. Malik, Jan Bornikoel, Laura Reinke, Boris Macek, Mirita Franz-Wachtel, Kay Nieselt, Theresa Harbig, Kirstin Scherlach, Heike Broetz-Oesterhelt, Christian Hertweck, Hans-Georg Sahl, Gabriele Bierbaum
Summary: Resistance to antibiotics is a growing problem and alternative antimicrobial therapies are needed. Cervimycin, a polyketide antibiotic, shows promising activity against multidrug-resistant staphylococci and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This study identified the Clp system and the essential kinase WalK as mutational hotspots for cervimycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, cervimycin-resistant strains exhibited vancomycin-intermediate resistance phenotype, suggesting a role of cervimycin in perturbing the bacterial cell envelope.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jin Liang, Yuanfang Hu, Mingxia Fu, Na Li, Fengxia Wang, Xiaojun Yu, Bing Ji
Summary: The study investigated the molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in patients from the Yellow River Delta region and examined antibiotic resistance profiles in different genetic backgrounds. Antibiotic susceptibility testing, spa typing, and agr typing were conducted on all 204 strains. The results identified 39 MRSA strains and 22 hVISA isolates. The majority of MRSA isolates belonged to agrI and were associated with type IV SCCmec. The most common genotypes among MRSA population were ST59-t437-agrI-IVa and ST72-t2431-agrI-IVF. The study highlights the genetic diversity and drug resistance patterns among MSSA strains exhibiting phenotypic hVISA.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isabella Hernandez-Aristizabal, Ivan Dario Ocampo-Ibanez
Summary: The emergence of bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotics, especially VRSA and VISA strains, poses a serious threat to global health. Developing new antimicrobial alternatives, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), is urgently needed as a promising therapeutic strategy to combat resistant strains. Evaluating natural, artificial, and synthetic AMPs against VRSA and VISA strains shows great potential for clinical application.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Abraham G. Moller, Robert A. Petit III, Michelle H. Davis, Timothy D. Read
Summary: This study developed a method for rapid detection of vancomycin-intermediate resistance in Staphylococcus aureus through long-read genomic sequencing. The method can identify VISA genotypes and incorporate a comprehensive database of VISA genetic determinants.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Reena Lamichhane-Khadka, Santosh Dulal, Jesus A. Cuaron, Richard Pfeltz, Sushim Kumar Gupta, Brian J. Wilkinson, John E. Gustafson
Summary: Comparative genomic sequencing of two laboratory-derived vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) strains (MM66-3 and MM66-4) revealed unique mutations compared to the parent strain MM66. Transcriptional profiling showed similar changes in both VISA strains, including reduced autolysis, growth in the presence of salt, and virulence factor activity. Mutations in the key gene apt may play a role in altered adenine metabolism in VISA strains.
Article
Infectious Diseases
M. Sreejisha, Shalini Shenoy Mulki, Suchitra Shenoy, Biranthabail Dhanashree, M. Chakrapani, Gopalakrishna Bhat
Summary: This study investigated infections caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in diabetic and non-diabetic patients in four tertiary care hospitals in Coastal Karnataka, South India, with a focus on heterogeneous vancomycin intermediate S. aureus (hVISA). The results showed that the rate of hVISA among all MRSA isolates was 6.4%, and the risk of hVISA infection was three times higher in diabetic patients.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michelle Su, Michelle H. Davis, Jessica Peterson, Claudia Solis-Lemus, Sarah W. Satola, Timothy D. Read
Summary: VISA resistance is typically caused by accumulation of chromosomal mutations in six common genes, but the effect of these mutations on fitness and resistance contribution varies among different strain backgrounds.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chulmin Park, Kyoohyoung Rho, Juyoun Shin, Sung-Yeon Cho, Dong-Gun Lee, Yeun-Jun Chung
Summary: Recent genomic studies have shown genetic diversity in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this study, genetic variations and features of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA) strains in South Korea were investigated, revealing different mechanisms for reduced vancomycin susceptibility in each clonal lineage, particularly in two-component systems (TCSs) and transcriptional regulators such as walK. ST5 and ST239 clones were closely associated with the epidemiological features of hVISA strains.
MICROBIAL DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kimberly J. Dunham-Snary, Bas G. J. Surewaard, Jeffrey D. Mewburn, Rachel E. T. Bentley, Ashley Y. Martin, Oliver Jones, Ruaa Al-Qazazi, Patricia A. D. Lima, Paul Kubes, Stephen L. Archer
Summary: Mitochondria in human neutrophils play a critical role in the killing of Staphylococcus aureus. They contribute to bacterial clearance through mechanisms such as phagocytosis and vital NETosis.
Article
Cell Biology
Tomasz K. Prajsnar, Justyna J. Serba, Bernice M. Dekker, Josie F. Gibson, Samrah Masud, Angeleen Fleming, Simon A. Johnston, Stephen A. Renshaw, Annemarie H. Meijer
Summary: The study reveals that intracellular autophagy in neutrophils may have both beneficial and detrimental effects on hosts infected with Staphylococcus aureus, with different pathways leading to conflicting outcomes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yifan Rao, Huagang Peng, Weilong Shang, Zhen Hu, Yi Yang, Li Tan, Ming Li, Renjie Zhou, Xiancai Rao
Summary: The WalK(S221P) mutation enhances vancomycin resistance and decreases virulence in Staphylococcus aureus.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pooi Yin Chung, Pey Lin Narissa Loh, Hui-min Neoh, Ramliza Ramli
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus is a significant threat to human health and has developed resistance to conventional antimicrobials. The presence of biofilms complicates treatment for infections caused by multi-drug resistant S. aureus. Alpha-amyrin has been shown to reduce biomass and inhibit metabolic activity of S. aureus. This study demonstrates that alpha-amyrin can reduce biofilm biomass of MSSA, MRSA, and VISA isolates, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for chronic S. aureus infections.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jian Hu, Xinjun Han, Xiaoxue Ma, Xutao Chen, Zhenping Zhou, Peilan Peng, Zhao Yu, Yongzhi Hou, Peiru Han, Long Pang, Yali Yang, Jia Xu, Wenhui Wu
Summary: This study aimed to explore the molecular causes of vancomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus through proteomics analysis. The results identified several regulatory proteins associated with cell metabolism and function that were altered with vancomycin treatment, providing potential targets for the management of vancomycin resistance in S. aureus.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)