Complete nucleotide sequence analysis of plasmids in strains of Staphylococcus aureus clone USA300 reveals a high level of identity among isolates with closely related core genome sequences.

ABSTRACT: A community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strain known as pulsed-field type USA300 (USA300) is epidemic in the United States. Previous comparative whole-genome sequencing studies demonstrated that there has been recent clonal emergence of a subset of USA300 isolates, which comprise the epidemic clone. Although the core genomes of these isolates are closely related, the level of diversity among USA300 plasmids was not resolved. Inasmuch as these plasmids might contribute to significant gene diversity among otherwise closely related USA300 isolates, we performed de novo sequencing of endogenous plasmids from 10 previously characterized USA300 clinical isolates obtained from different geographic locations in the United States. All isolates tested contained s

SUBMITTER: Kennedy AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3008496 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature