Accessory gene regulator (agr) locus in geographically diverse Staphylococcus aureus isolates with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin.

ABSTRACT: The majority of infections with glycopeptide intermediate-level resistant Staphylococcus aureus (GISA) originate in biomedical devices, suggesting a possible increased ability of these strains to produce biofilm. Loss of function of the accessory gene regulator (agr) of S. aureus has been suggested to confer an enhanced ability to bind to polystyrene. We studied agr in GISA, hetero-GISA, and related glycopeptide-susceptible S. aureus isolates. All GISA strains from diverse geographic origins belong to agr group II. All GISA strains were defective in agr function, as demonstrated by their inability to produce delta-hemolysin. Hetero-GISA isolate A5940 demonstrated a nonsense mutation in agrA that was not present in a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis-indistinguishable vancomycin-susceptible

SUBMITTER: Sakoulas G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC127153 | biostudies-literature | 2002 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature