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- ItemSequence Analysis of Novel Staphylococcus aureus Lineages from Wild and Captive Macaques(Basel : Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI), 2022) Monecke, Stefan; Roberts, Marilyn C.; Braun, Sascha D.; Diezel, Celia; Müller, Elke; Reinicke, Martin; Linde, Jörg; Joshi, Prabhu Raj; Paudel, Saroj; Acharya, Mahesh; Chalise, Mukesh K.; Feßler, Andrea T.; Hotzel, Helmut; Khanal, Laxman; Koju, Narayan P.; Schwarz, Stefan; Kyes, Randall C.; Ehricht, RalfStaphylococcus aureus is a widespread and common opportunistic bacterium that can colonise or infect humans as well as a wide range of animals. There are a few studies of both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolated from monkeys, apes, and lemurs, indicating a presence of a number of poorly or unknown lineages of the pathogen. In order to obtain insight into staphylococcal diversity, we sequenced strains from wild and captive individuals of three macaque species (Macaca mulatta, M. assamensis, and M. sylvanus) using Nanopore and Illumina technologies. These strains were previously identified by microarray as poorly or unknown strains. Isolates of novel lineages ST4168, ST7687, ST7688, ST7689, ST7690, ST7691, ST7692, ST7693, ST7694, ST7695, ST7745, ST7746, ST7747, ST7748, ST7749, ST7750, ST7751, ST7752, ST7753, and ST7754 were sequenced and characterised for the first time. In addition, isolates belonging to ST2990, a lineage also observed in humans, and ST3268, a MRSA strain already known from macaques, were also included into the study. Mobile genetic elements, genomic islands, and carriage of prophages were analysed. There was no evidence for novel host-specific virulence factors. However, a conspicuously high rate of carriage of a pathogenicity island harbouring edinB and etD2/etE as well as a higher number of repeat units within the gene sasG (encoding an adhesion factor) than in human isolates were observed. None of the strains harboured the genes encoding Panton–Valentine leukocidin. In conclusion, wildlife including macaques may harbour an unappreciated diversity of S. aureus lineages that may be of clinical relevance for humans, livestock, or for wildlife conservation, given the declining state of many wildlife populations.
- ItemMolecular investigations on a chimeric strain of Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 80(San Francisco, California, US : PLOS, 2020) Gawlik, Darius; Ruppelt-Lorz, Antje; Müller, Elke; Reißig, Annett; Hotzel, Helmut; Braun, Sascha D.; Söderquist, Bo; Ziegler-Cordts, Albrecht; Stein, Claudia; Pletz, Mathias W.; Ehricht, Ralf; Monecke, StefanA PVL-positive, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from pus from cervical lymphadenitis of a patient of East-African origin. Microarray hybridisation assigned the isolate to clonal complex (CC) 80 but revealed unusual features, including the presence of the ORF-CM14 enterotoxin homologue and of an ACME-III element as well as the absence of etD and edinB. The isolate was subjected to both, Illumina and Nanopore sequencing allowing characterisation of deviating regions within the strain´s genome. Atypical features of this strain were attributable to the presence of two genomic regions that originated from other S. aureus lineages and that comprised, respectively, 3% and 1.4% of the genome. One deviating region extended from walJ to sirB. It comprised ORF-CM14 and the ACME-III element. A homologous but larger fragment was also found in an atypical S. aureus CC1/ST567 strain whose lineage might have served as donor of this genomic region. This region itself is a chimera comprising fragments from CC1 as well as fragments of unknown origin. The other deviating region comprised the region from htsB to ecfA2, i.e., another 3% of the genome. It was very similar to CC1 sequences. Either this suggests an incorporation of CC1 DNA into the study strain, or alternatively a recombination event affecting “canonical” CC80. Thus, the study strain bears witness of several recombination events affecting supposedly core genomic genes. Although the exact mechanism is not yet clear, such chimerism seems to be an additional pathway in the evolution of S. aureus. This could facilitate also a transmission of virulence and resistance factors and therefore offer an additional evolutionary advantage.
- ItemCharacterisation of S. aureus/MRSA CC1153 and review of mobile genetic elements carrying the fusidic acid resistance gene fusC([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2021) Monecke, Stefan; Müller, Elke; Braun, Sascha D.; Armengol-Porta, Marc; Bes, Michèle; Boswihi, Samar; El-Ashker, Maged; Engelmann, Ines; Gawlik, Darius; Gwida, Mayada; Hotzel, Helmut; Nassar, Rania; Reissig, Annett; Ruppelt-Lorz, Antje; Senok, Abiola; Somily, Ali M.; Udo, Edet E.; Ehricht, RalfWhile many data on molecular epidemiology of MRSA are available for North America, Western Europe and Australia, much less is known on the distribution of MRSA clones elsewhere. Here, we describe a poorly known lineage from the Middle East, CC1153, to which several strains from humans and livestock belong. Isolates were characterised using DNA microarrays and one isolate from the United Arab Emirates was sequenced using Nanopore technology. CC1153 carries agr II and capsule type 5 genes. Enterotoxin genes are rarely present, but PVL is common. Associated spa types include t504, t903 and t13507. PVL-positive CC1153-MSSA were found in Egyptian cattle suffering from mastitis. It was also identified among humans with skin and soft tissue infections in Saudi Arabia, France and Germany. CC1153-MRSA were mainly observed in Arabian Gulf countries. Some isolates presented with a previously unknown SCCmec/SCCfus chimeric element in which a mec B complex was found together with the fusidic acid resistance gene fusC and accompanying genes including ccrA/B-1 recombinase genes. Other isolates carried SCCmec V elements that usually also included fusC. Distribution and emergence of CC1153-MRSA show the necessity of molecular characterization of MRSA that are resistant to fusidic acid. These strains pose a public health threat as they combine resistance to beta-lactams used in hospitals as well as to fusidic acid used in the community. Because of the high prevalence of fusC-positive MRSA in the Middle East, sequences and descriptions of SCC elements harbouring fusC and/or mecA are reviewed. When comparing fusC and its surrounding regions from the CC1153 strain to available published sequences, it became obvious that there are four fusC alleles and five distinct types of fusC gene complexes reminiscent to the mec complexes in SCCmec elements. Likewise, they are associated with different sets of ccrA/B recombinase genes and additional payload that might include entire mec complexes or SCCmec elements.