Project description:Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex (CC) 398 has emerged from pigs to cause human infections in Europe and North America. We used a new 62-strain S. aureus microarray (SAM-62) to compare genomes of isolates from three geographical areas (Belgium, Denmark, and Netherlands) to understand how CC398 colonizes different mammalian hosts. The core genomes of 44 pig isolates and 32 isolates from humans did not vary. However, mobile genetic element (MGE) distribution was variable including SCCmec. Phi3 bacteriophage and human specificity genes (chp, sak, scn) were found in invasive human but not pig isolates. SaPI5 and putative ruminant specificity gene variants (vwb and scn) were common but not pig specific. Virulence and resistance gene carriage was host associated but country specific. We conclude MGE exchange is frequent in CC398 and greatest among populations in close contact. This feature may help determine epidemiological associations among isolates of the same lineage. [Data is also available from http://bugs.sgul.ac.uk/E-BUGS-120]
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus causes disease in humans and a wide array of animals. Of note, S. aureus mastitis of ruminants, including cows, sheep and goats, results in major economic losses worldwide. Extensive variation in genome content exists among S. aureus pathogenic clones. However, the genomic variation among S. aureus strains infecting different animal species has not been well examined. To investigate variation in the genome content of human and ruminant S. aureus we carried out whole genome PCR scanning (WGPS), comparative genomic hybridizations (CGH), and directed DNA sequence analysis of strains of human, bovine, ovine, and caprine origin. Extensive variation in genome content was discovered including host- and ruminant-specific genetic loci. Ovine and caprine strains were genetically allied whereas bovine strains were heterogenous in gene content. As expected, mobile genetic elements such as pathogenicity islands and bacteriophages contributed to the variation in genome content between strains. However, remarkably, most host-specific differences were restricted to regions of the conserved core genome, which contained allelic variation in genes encoding proteins of known and unknown function. Many of these proteins are predicted to be exported and could play a role in host-pathogen interactions. These data suggest that diversification of the core genome may be more important than acquisition of novel genes for S. aureus host-adaptation. The host-specific determinants identified by the whole-genome approaches adopted in the current study represent excellent targets for studies of the evolution and molecular basis of S. aureus host specificity. Keywords: Strain vs strain eleven strains of Sa were compared at the DNA level in triplicate.
Project description:Therapy of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is often ineffective, even under optimal conditions, and adapted subclones with attenuated agr-mediated virulence activation are associated with persistent infection and mortality. To understand how apparent loss of virulence leads to increased mortality, we sequenced complete genomes from clone pairs from colonizing and infected sites of patients in whom S. aureus demonstrated a within-host downshift in agr function in the infecting isolate. Clone pairs with a downshift in agr function showed substantial genetic divergence compared to wild-type pairs from controls. Complementation studies further identified an agr-defective bacteremic strain that was highly virulent in vivo, which we linked to a mutation that restored expression of the agr-regulated ess/Type-VII secretion system; a known virulence factor. Our results suggest that selection pressure during invasive infection is strong enough to mutationally bypass agr-deficiency associated loss of virulence, and that efforts to suppress agr function may need to be reconsidered.
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus causes disease in humans and a wide array of animals. Of note, S. aureus mastitis of ruminants, including cows, sheep and goats, results in major economic losses worldwide. Extensive variation in genome content exists among S. aureus pathogenic clones. However, the genomic variation among S. aureus strains infecting different animal species has not been well examined. To investigate variation in the genome content of human and ruminant S. aureus we carried out whole genome PCR scanning (WGPS), comparative genomic hybridizations (CGH), and directed DNA sequence analysis of strains of human, bovine, ovine, and caprine origin. Extensive variation in genome content was discovered including host- and ruminant-specific genetic loci. Ovine and caprine strains were genetically allied whereas bovine strains were heterogenous in gene content. As expected, mobile genetic elements such as pathogenicity islands and bacteriophages contributed to the variation in genome content between strains. However, remarkably, most host-specific differences were restricted to regions of the conserved core genome, which contained allelic variation in genes encoding proteins of known and unknown function. Many of these proteins are predicted to be exported and could play a role in host-pathogen interactions. These data suggest that diversification of the core genome may be more important than acquisition of novel genes for S. aureus host-adaptation. The host-specific determinants identified by the whole-genome approaches adopted in the current study represent excellent targets for studies of the evolution and molecular basis of S. aureus host specificity. Keywords: Strain vs strain
Project description:Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen of humans and animals and rapidly emerging antibiotic-resistant strains have further increased the severity of this health issue. Host genetics influence susceptibility to S. aureus infections, and genes determining infection outcome should be identified to analyze immune-based therapies as an alternative to antibiotics. Here, we used outbred animals from a divergent selection on susceptibility towards Staphylococcus infection to explore host immunogenetics. Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigated how dendritic cells respond to heat-inactivated S. aureus and whether dendritic cells from animals with different degree of susceptibility have distinct gene expression profiles. We measured expression levels of 15K probes from in vitro S. aureus-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells at three different time points (0, 3 and 8 hours) by using Agilent microarrays. Furthermore, a selected number of genes were confirmed by RT-qPCR. Gene signatures of stimulated DCs were obtained and genes involved in inflammatory process and T helper cell polarization were highly up regulated upon stimulation. Moreover, a set of 204 genes were statistically different between susceptible and resistant animals, and grouped them according to their predisposition to staphylococcal infection. Interestingly, a role of classical pathway of Complement and early regulation of inflammation is observed in the resistant line through over expression of C1q and Ido1 genes respectively. On the opposite, over expression of genes in the IL1R pathway in the susceptible animals was noticed. Furthermore, leucocyte extravasation pathway was also found dominant in the susceptible line. Conclusion/Significance: we successfully obtained Staphylococcus aureus associated gene expression of ovine BM-DC in 8 hour kinetics experiment. Distinct transcriptional profiles of dendritic cells obtained from resistant and susceptible lines may explain susceptibility towards S. aureus infections in a broad context. Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, dendritic cells, mammalian, transcriptome, immunity, mastitis 44 sample records; two-colour dye-swap experimental design
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens in humans and animals, multiply resistant strains are increasingly widespread, new agents are needed for the treatment of S. aureus. Rhein, a natural plant product, has potential antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. We employed Affymetrix Staphylococcus aureus GeneChipsTM arrays to investigate the global transcriptional profiling of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 treated with rhein. Results provided insight into mechanisms involved in rhein - Staphylococcus aureus interactions. Keywords: rhein response
Project description:Hybridisation of reference strains to the VirEp Staphylococcus aureus microarray, and characterisation of different S. aureus isolates from different locations and associated with different diseases.