Diversification of the Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome Through Distinct Mechanisms of Horizontal Transfer.

ABSTRACT: The staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) is a mobile genetic element that carries the mecA gene conferring resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. While SCCmec is widely disseminated in Staphylococcus aureus, its diversity and evolutionary history across different taxonomic scales have not been investigated in detail. To elucidate the mechanisms governing the diversification of SCCmec, we carried out the largest systematic analysis of SCCmec to date. We focused on the Staphylococcaceae family, which is the primary cellular host of SCCmec. We scanned 2,556 complete genomes, representing 75 species and 8 genera within Staphylococcaceae. For this, we developed SCCeeker, a tailored pipeline to detect SCCmec across a large-scale genomic dataset. We uncovered 1,419 candidate SCCmec reg

SUBMITTER: Muller H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12648241 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature