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Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus mutants expressing reduced susceptibility to common house‐cleaners
Author(s) -
Davis A.O.,
O'Leary J.O.,
Muthaiyan A.,
Langevin M.J.,
Delgado A.,
Abalos A.T.,
Fajardo A.R.,
Marek J.,
Wilkinson B.J.,
Gustafson J.E.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2004.02460.x
Subject(s) - mutant , staphylococcus aureus , microbiology and biotechnology , vancomycin , minimum inhibitory concentration , operon , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , biology , chemistry , antibiotics , genetics , bacteria , gene
Aims: To characterize mutants of Staphylococcus aureus expressing reduced susceptibility to house cleaners (HC), assess the impact of the alternative sigma factor SigB on HC susceptibility, and determine the MIC of clinical methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) to a HC. Methods and Results: Susceptibility to HC, HC components, H 2 O 2 , vancomycin and oxacillin and physiological parameters were determined for HC‐reduced susceptibility (HC RS ) mutants, parent strain COL and COL sigB :: kan . HC RS mutants selected with three HC expressed reduced susceptibility to multiple HC, HC components, H 2 O 2 and vancomycin. Two unique HC RS mutants also lost the methicillin resistance determinant. In addition, all HC RS mutants exhibited better growth at two temperatures, and one HC RS mutant expressed reduced carotenoid production. COL sigB::kan demonstrated increased susceptibility to all HC and many HC components. sigB operon mutations were not detected in one HC RS mutant background. Of 76 clinical MRSA, 20 exhibited reduced susceptibility to a HC. Conclusions: HC RS mutants demonstrate altered susceptibility to multiple antimicrobials. While sigB is required for full HC resistance, one HC RS mechanism does not involve sigB operon mutations. Clinical MRSA expressing reduced susceptibility to a common HC were detected. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study suggests that HC RS mutants are not protected against, nor selected by, practical HC concentrations.