scholarly journals Role of the Stringent Stress Response in the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotype of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 2311-2317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Aedo ◽  
Alexander Tomasz
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Resistance Level ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resistance Phenotype ◽  
Oxacillin Resistance ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTResistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) requires the presence of an acquired genetic determinant,mecAormecC, which encode penicillin-binding protein PBP2A or PBP2A′, respectively. Although all MRSA strains share a mechanism of resistance, the phenotypic expression of beta-lactam resistance shows considerable strain-to-strain variation. The stringent stress response, a stress response that results from nutrient limitation, was shown to play a key role in determining the resistance level of an MRSA strain. In the present study, we validated the impact of the stringent stress response on transcription and translation ofmecAin the MRSA clinical isolate strain N315, which also carries known regulatory genes (mecI/mecR1/mecR2andblaI/blaR1) formecAtranscription. We showed that the impact of the stringent stress response on the resistance level may be restricted to beta-lactam resistance based on a “foreign” determinant such asmecA, as opposed to resistance based on mutations in the nativeS. aureusdeterminantpbpB(encoding PBP2). Our observations demonstrate that high-level resistance mediated by the stringent stress response follows the current model of beta-lactam resistance in which the native PBP2 protein is also essential for expression of the resistance phenotype. We also show that theStaphylococcus sciuri pbpDgene (also calledmecAI), the putative evolutionary precursor ofmecA, confers oxacillin resistance in anS. aureusstrain, generating a heterogeneous phenotype that can be converted to high and homogenous resistance by induction of the stringent stress response in the bacteria.

scholarly journals Full-Genome Sequencing Identifies in the Genetic Background Several Determinants That Modulate the Resistance Phenotype in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Carrying the Novel mecC Gene

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Milheiriço ◽  
Hermínia de Lencastre ◽  
Alexander Tomasz
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resistance Phenotype ◽  
Beta Lactam Antibiotics ◽  
Oxacillin Resistance ◽  
Mrsa Strains

ABSTRACT Most methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains are resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics due to the presence of the mecA gene, encoding an extra penicillin-binding protein (PBP2A) that has low affinity for virtually all beta-lactam antibiotics. Recently, a new resistance determinant—the mecC gene—was identified in S. aureus isolates recovered from humans and dairy cattle. Although having typically low MICs to beta-lactam antibiotics, MRSA strains with the mecC determinant are also capable of expressing high levels of oxacillin resistance when in an optimal genetic background. In order to test the impact of extensive beta-lactam selection on the emergence of mecC-carrying strains with high levels of antibiotic resistance, we exposed the prototype mecC-carrying MRSA strain, LGA251, to increasing concentrations of oxacillin. LGA251 was able to rapidly adapt to high concentrations of oxacillin in growth medium. In such laboratory mutants with increased levels of oxacillin resistance, we identified mutations in genes with no relationship to the mecC regulatory system, indicating that the genetic background plays an important role in the establishment of the levels of oxacillin resistance. Our data also indicate that the stringent stress response plays a critical role in the beta-lactam antibiotic resistance phenotype of MRSA strains carrying the mecC determinant.

scholarly journals Genetic Determinants of High-Level Oxacillin Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pardos de la Gandara ◽  
Vitor Borges ◽  
Marilyn Chung ◽  
Catarina Milheiriço ◽  
João Paulo Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clonal Type ◽  
Oxacillin Resistance ◽  
Resistant Phenotype ◽  
Six Genes

ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains carry either a mecA - or a mecC -mediated mechanism of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, and the phenotypic expression of resistance shows extensive strain-to-strain variation. In recent communications, we identified the genetic determinants associated with the stringent stress response that play a major role in the antibiotic resistant phenotype of the historically earliest “archaic” clone of MRSA and in the mecC -carrying MRSA strain LGA251. Here, we sought to test whether or not the same genetic determinants also contribute to the resistant phenotype of highly and homogeneously resistant (H*R) derivatives of a major contemporary MRSA clone, USA300. We found that the resistance phenotype was linked to six genes ( fruB , gmk , hpt , purB , prsA , and relA ), which were most frequently targeted among the analyzed 20 H*R strains (one mutation per clone in 19 of the 20 H*R strains). Besides the strong parallels with our previous findings (five of the six genes matched), all but one of the repeatedly targeted genes were found to be linked to guanine metabolism, pointing to the key role that this pathway plays in defining the level of antibiotic resistance independent of the clonal type of MRSA.

scholarly journals Antibiotic Resistance as a Stress Response: Recovery of High-Level Oxacillin Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus “Auxiliary” (fem) Mutants by Induction of the Stringent Stress Response

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Choon Keun Kim ◽  
Catarina Milheiriço ◽  
Hermínia de Lencastre ◽  
Alexander Tomasz
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Penicillin Binding Protein ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oxacillin Resistance ◽  
Response Recovery ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACT Studies with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain COL have shown that the optimal resistance phenotype requires not only mecA but also a large number of “auxiliary genes” identified by Tn551 mutagenesis. The majority of auxiliary mutants showed greatly increased levels of oxacillin resistance when grown in the presence of sub-MICs of mupirocin, suggesting that the mechanism of reduced resistance in the auxiliary mutants involved the interruption of a stringent stress response, causing reduced production of penicillin-binding protein 2A (PBP 2A).

scholarly journals Novel Combinations of Vancomycin plus Ceftaroline or Oxacillin against Methicillin-Resistant Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and Heterogeneous VISA

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 2376-2379 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Werth ◽  
C. Vidaillac ◽  
K. P. Murray ◽  
K. L. Newton ◽  
G. Sakoulas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Fluorescent Dye ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Significant Inverse Correlation ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Kill ◽  
Wall Interactions

ABSTRACTWe demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between vancomycin and beta-lactam susceptibilities in vancomycin-intermediateStaphylococcus aureus(VISA) and heterogeneous VISA (hVISA) isolates. Using time-kill assays, vancomycin plus oxacillin or ceftaroline was synergistic against 3 of 5 VISA and 1 of 5 hVISA isolates or 5 of 5 VISA and 4 of 5 hVISA isolates, respectively. Beta-lactam exposure reduced overall vancomycin-Bodipy (dipyrrometheneboron difluoride [4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene] fluorescent dye) binding but may have improved vancomycin-cell wall interactions to improve vancomycin activity. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanism behind vancomycin and beta-lactam synergy.

scholarly journals Linezolid Attenuates Lethal Lung Damage during Postinfluenza Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atul K. Verma ◽  
Christopher Bauer ◽  
Vijaya Kumar Yajjala ◽  
Shruti Bansal ◽  
Keer Sun
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Therapeutic Effect ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Lung Damage ◽  
Alpha Toxin ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Linezolid Therapy ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus Pneumonia ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Postinfluenza methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection can quickly develop into severe, necrotizing pneumonia, causing over 50% mortality despite antibiotic treatments. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of antibiotic therapies and the impact of S. aureus alpha-toxin in a model of lethal influenza virus and MRSA coinfection. We demonstrate that antibiotics primarily attenuate alpha-toxin-induced acute lethality, even though both alpha-toxin-dependent and -independent mechanisms significantly contribute to animal mortality after coinfection. Furthermore, we found that the protein synthesis-suppressing antibiotic linezolid has an advantageous therapeutic effect on alpha-toxin-induced lung damage, as measured by protein leak and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Importantly, using a Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-negative MRSA isolate from patient sputum, we show that linezolid therapy significantly improves animal survival from postinfluenza MRSA pneumonia compared with vancomycin treatment. Rather than improved viral or bacterial control, this advantageous therapeutic effect is associated with a significantly attenuated proinflammatory cytokine response and acute lung damage in linezolid-treated mice. Together, our findings not only establish a critical role of alpha-toxin in the extreme mortality of secondary MRSA pneumonia after influenza but also provide support for the possibility that linezolid could be a more effective treatment than vancomycin to improve disease outcomes.

scholarly journals Flavone Markedly Affects Phenotypic Expression of β-Lactam Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated Clinically

2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 1478-1483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirofumi Shibata ◽  
Chikako Shirakata ◽  
Hiromi Kawasaki ◽  
Yoichi Sato ◽  
Tomomi Kuwahara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Methicillin Resistant

scholarly journals Nasal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) PCR Testing Reduces the Duration of MRSA-Targeted Therapy in Patients with Suspected MRSA Pneumonia

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidhu Baby ◽  
Andrew C. Faust ◽  
Terri Smith ◽  
Lyndsay A. Sheperd ◽  
Laura Knoll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Targeted Therapy ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Health Care Associated Pneumonia ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Suspected Pneumonia

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist-ordered methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) PCR testing on the duration of empirical MRSA-targeted antibiotic therapy in patients with suspected pneumonia. This is a retrospective analysis of patients who received vancomycin or linezolid for suspected pneumonia before and after the implementation of a pharmacist-driven protocol for nasal MRSA PCR testing. Patients were included if they were adults of >18 years of age and initiated on vancomycin or linezolid for suspected MRSA pneumonia. The primary endpoint was the duration of vancomycin or linezolid therapy. After screening 368 patients, 57 patients met inclusion criteria (27 pre-PCR and 30 post-PCR). Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, with the majority of patients classified as having health care-associated pneumonia (68.4%). The use of the nasal MRSA PCR test reduced the mean duration of MRSA-targeted therapy by 46.6 h (74.0 ± 48.9 h versus 27.4 ± 18.7 h; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27.3 to 65.8 h; P < 0.0001). Fewer patients in the post-PCR group required vancomycin serum levels and dose adjustment (48.1% versus 16.7%; P = 0.02). There were no significant differences between the pre- and post-PCR groups regarding days to clinical improvement (1.78 ± 2.52 versus 2.27 ± 3.34; P = 0.54), length of hospital stay (11.04 ± 9.5 versus 8.2 ± 7.8; P = 0.22), or hospital mortality (14.8% versus 6.7%; P = 0.41). The use of nasal MRSA PCR testing in patients with suspected MRSA pneumonia reduced the duration of empirical MRSA-targeted therapy by approximately 2 days without increasing adverse clinical outcomes.

scholarly journals β-Lactams Increase the Antibacterial Activity of Daptomycin against Clinical Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains and Prevent Selection of Daptomycin-Resistant Derivatives

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 6192-6200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrenik Mehta ◽  
Christopher Singh ◽  
Konrad B. Plata ◽  
Palas K. Chanda ◽  
Arundhati Paul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Mutant Selection ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oxacillin Resistance ◽  
Worm Model ◽  
Mrsa Strains ◽  
Selection Of

ABSTRACTMethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) has emerged to be one of the most important pathogens both in health care and in community-onset infections. Daptomycin (DAP) is a cyclic anionic lipopeptide recommended for treatment of skin infections, bacteremia, and right-sided endocarditis caused by MRSA. Resistance to DAP (DAPr) has been reported in MRSA and is mostly accompanied by a parallel decrease in oxacillin resistance, a process known as the “seesaw effect.” Our study provides evidence that the seesaw effect applies to other β-lactams and carbapenems of clinical use, including nafcillin (NAF), cefotaxime (CTX), amoxicillin-clavulanic (AMC), and imipenem (IMP), in heterogeneous DAPrMRSA strains but not in MRSA strains expressing homogeneous β-lactam resistance. The antibacterial efficacy of DAP in combination with β-lactams was evaluated in isogenic DAP-susceptible (DAPs)/DaprMRSA strains originally obtained from patients that failed DAP monotherapy. Bothin vitro(MIC, synergy-kill curve) andin vivo(wax worm model) approaches were used. In these models, DAP and a β-lactam proved to be highly synergistic against both heterogeneous and homogeneous clinical DAPrMRSA strains. Mechanistically, β-lactams induced a reduction in the cell net positive surface charge, reverting the increased repulsion provoked by DAP alone, an effect that may favor the binding of DAP to the cell surface. The ease ofin vitromutant selection was observed when DAPsMRSA strains were exposed to DAP. Importantly, the combination of DAP and a β-lactam prevented the selection of DAPrvariants. In summary, our data show that the DAP–β-lactam combination may significantly enhance both thein vitroandin vivoefficacy of anti-MRSA therapeutic options against DAPrMRSA infections and represent an option in preventing DAPrselection in persistent or refractory MRSA infections.

scholarly journals β-Lactam Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 Is Increased by Inactivation of the ClpXP Protease

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 4593-4603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristoffer T. Bæk ◽  
Angelika Gründling ◽  
René G. Mogensen ◽  
Louise Thøgersen ◽  
Andreas Petersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Penicillin Binding Protein ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Resistance Level ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Usa300 Strain ◽  
Mrsa Strains ◽  
Peptidoglycan Hydrolysis

ABSTRACTMethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) has acquired themecAgene encoding a peptidoglycan transpeptidase, penicillin binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which has decreased affinity for β-lactams. Quickly spreading and highly virulent community-acquired (CA) MRSA strains recently emerged as a frequent cause of infection in individuals without exposure to the health care system. In this study, we found that the inactivation of the components of the ClpXP protease substantially increased the β-lactam resistance level of a CA-MRSA USA300 strain, suggesting that the proteolytic activity of ClpXP controls one or more pathways modulating β-lactam resistance. These pathways do not involve the control ofmecAexpression, as the cellular levels of PBP2a were unaltered in theclpmutants. An analysis of the cell envelope properties of theclpXandclpPmutants revealed a number of distinct phenotypes that may contribute to the enhanced β-lactam tolerance. Both mutants displayed significantly thicker cell walls, increased peptidoglycan cross-linking, and altered composition of monomeric muropeptide species compared to those of the wild types. Moreover, changes in Sle1-mediated peptidoglycan hydrolysis and altered processing of the major autolysin Atl were observed in theclpmutants. In conclusion, the results presented here point to an important role for the ClpXP protease in controlling cell wall metabolism and add novel insights into the molecular factors that determine strain-dependent β-lactam resistance.

scholarly journals Subinhibitory Dalbavancin Attenuates Exotoxin Production from Methicillin-Sensitive and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureusIn Vitro

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Hobdey ◽  
Eva J. Katahira ◽  
Pamela Dockstader ◽  
Stephen M. Davidson ◽  
Laura Bond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Toxin Production ◽  
Glycopeptide Antibiotics ◽  
Glycopeptide Antibiotic ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Recent Success ◽  
Subinhibitory Concentrations

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of subinhibitory doses of the lipoglycopeptide antibiotic dalbavancin on Staphylococcus aureus toxin production in vitro. S. aureus toxin production levels were compared to those seen with the natural glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin and with representative beta-lactam and oxazolidinone antibiotics. While neither dalbavancin nor vancomycin adversely affected toxin production, of these glycopeptide antibiotics, only dalbavancin significantly attenuated toxin production at subinhibitory concentrations. These findings support the recent success of dalbavancin for treatment of staphylococcal infections.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document