Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis carrying biofilm formation genes: detection of clinical isolates by multiplex PCR

Int Microbiol. 2011 Mar;14(1):13-7. doi: 10.2436/20.1501.01.130.

Abstract

Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most prevalent coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) and is a major cause of hospital bacteremia. Based on 18 reference strains and 149 Staphylococcus clinical strains, used in a novel multiplex PCR method, the aim of this study was to identify S. epidermidis with respect to the sequence of three genes: recN, which encodes a recombination/repair protein, mecA (methicillin resistance), and icaAB, which is involved in biofilm formation. Amplicons of 219 bp (S. epidermidis-recN gene), 154 bp (mecA gene), and 546 bp (icaAB genes) were obtained. Reliable results were achieved for 100% of the evaluated strains, suggesting that this new multiplex-PCR approach could be useful for the accurate identification of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis with the potential to produce biofilm.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amidohydrolases / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacteriological Techniques / methods*
  • Biofilms / growth & development*
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes / genetics
  • Humans
  • Methicillin Resistance*
  • Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis / drug effects*
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis / genetics
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis / isolation & purification
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis / physiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • MecA protein, Staphylococcus epidermidis
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes
  • RecN protein, Bacteria
  • Amidohydrolases
  • poly-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase