Changes in the Protein Profile in Staphylococcal Strains from Patients Infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Virus

Tomasz Jarzembowski; Lidia Piechowicz; Marek Bronk; Anna Pałubicka; Łukasz Naumiuk

doi:10.33073/pjm-2023-001

Changes in the Protein Profile in Staphylococcal Strains from Patients Infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Virus

Pol J Microbiol. 2023 Feb 21;72(1):93-99. doi: 10.33073/pjm-2023-001. Print 2023 Mar 1.

Authors

Tomasz Jarzembowski¹, Lidia Piechowicz¹, Marek Bronk², Anna Pałubicka³, Łukasz Naumiuk²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
² Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital of the Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
³ Specialist Hospital in Koscierzyna Sp. z o.o., Department of Laboratory and Microbiological Diagnostics, Koscierzyna, Poland.

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus strains are particularly often isolated from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the current research was to determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection affects the protein profile of S. aureus. Bacteria were isolated from the forty swabs collected from the patients in the hospitals of the Pomeranian region. MALDI-TOF MS spectra were obtained using a Microflex LT instrument. Twenty-nine peaks were identified. The peak (2,430) is described here for the first time and was unique for the isolates from patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These results support the hypothesis of bacterial adaptation to the conditions caused by viral infection.

Keywords: MALDI-TOF; SARS-CoV-2; Staphylococcus aureus; source of isolation.

MeSH terms

Bacteria
COVID-19*
Humans
SARS-CoV-2
Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / methods
Staphylococcal Infections* / microbiology
Staphylococcus
Staphylococcus aureus

Grants and funding

Funding Medical University of Gdańsk, project 71-01415