Open AccessMutations inagrDo Not Persist in Natural Populations of Methicillin‐ResistantStaphylococcus aureus
Author(s) -
Bo Shopsin,
Christian Eaton,
Gregory A. Wasserman,
Barun Mathema,
Rajan P. Adhikari,
Simon Agolory,
Deena R. Altman,
Robert S. Holzman,
Barry N. Kreiswirth,
Richard P. Novick
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the journal of infectious diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.69
H-Index - 252
eISSN - 1537-6613
pISSN - 0022-1899
DOI - 10.1086/656915
Subject(s) - staphylococcus aureus , virulence , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , staphylococcal infections , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , gene , mutant , transmission (telecommunications) , genetics , bacteria , engineering , electrical engineering
Staphylococcus aureus organisms vary in the function of the staphylococcal virulence regulator gene agr. To test for a relationship between agr and transmission in S. aureus, we determined the prevalence and genetic basis of agr dysfunction among nosocomial methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in an area of MRSA endemicity. Identical inactivating agr mutations were not detected in epidemiologically unlinked clones within or between hospitals. Additionally, most agr mutants had single mutations, indicating that they were short lived. Collectively, the results suggest that agr dysfunction is adaptive for survival in the infected host but that it may be counteradaptive outside infected host tissues.
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