Pathoadapative Genomic Determinants of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Community Skin Infections and Nasal Colonization.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), yet the bacterial genomic adaptations underlying the transition from nasal colonization to invasive infection remain incompletely defined. We sequenced and analyzed 157 S. aureus isolates (126 from SSTIs and 31 from asymptomatic nasal colonization) from a primary care network in South Texas. Using genome-wide association studies, non-synonymous single-nucleotide variant (NSNV) profiling, and machine learning, we identified strain-specific adaptations in metabolic and regulatory pathways. SSTI isolates exhibited significant enrichment of nitrogen assimilation, purine biosynthesis, menaquinone production, and anaerobic respiration genes. Elevated copy number and colocalization of phage-linked m

SUBMITTER: Black CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12471753 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature