Complete genome sequence of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus lugdunensis strain and characteristics of its staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec

Rie Shibuya,Teruo Kirikae,Yuki Uehara,Keiichi Hiramatsu,Kazuhito Satou,Tadashi Baba,Kuniko Teruya,Takashi Hirano

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-65632-7

Abstract

Symptoms of Staphylococcus lugdunensis infection are often similar to those of Staphylococcus aureus infection, including skin and soft-tissue lesions, bacteremia and infective endocarditis. Despite the severity of these infections, S. lugdunensis is regarded as a less important pathogen than drug-resistant S. aureus. To investigate its ability to cause infectious diseases, a methicillin-resistant S. lugdunensis (MRSL) strain JICS135 was isolated from a patient with bacteremia and subjected to whole genome sequencing. Similar to most strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), this MRSL strain possessed the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) located close to the origin of replication. However, the SCCmec in this MRSL strain, with three ccr complexes, was structurally unique and currently untypable. Moreover, the SCCmec of this MRSL strain was found to carry two genes encoding microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMM)-like proteins accompanied by glycosyl transferases, one of which may have been derived from S. aureus and the other from S. epidermidis, indicating that this MRSL evolved to carry virulence factors from other staphylococci. The emergence of this strain, the first MRSL strain whose genome has been sequenced completely, may be of public concern.

Highlights

Www.nature.com/scientificreports of MRSL among S. lugdunensis isolates suggests an emerging public health problem
After complete genome determination of strain JICS135, the sequence was subjected to average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis with whole genome sequences of S. lugdunensis strains HKU09-0130 and N92014331
The complete sequencing of the genome of methicillin-resistant S. lugdunensis strain JICS135 showed that the size of its genome was approximately the same as other coagulase-negative staphylococci, and smaller than that of S. aureus

Summary

Introduction

Www.nature.com/scientificreports of MRSL among S. lugdunensis isolates suggests an emerging public health problem. A molecular epidemiological study demonstrated that MRSL isolates containing staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) V structure while harboring an additional ccrAB2 locus were emerging in central Taiwan[10]. The complete genome sequence of a MRSL strain has not been determined. The present study reports the comparative whole genome analysis of a clinical MRSL isolate from Japan that caused a bloodstream infection. The structure of its SCCmec was determined and its characteristics analyzed

Methods

Results

Conclusion