MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Genotype MRSA, a new genetic test for the rapid identification of staphylococci and detection of mecA gene.

Prère MF, Baron O, Cohen Bacrie S, Fayet O

Laboratoire de bactériologie–hygiène, institut fédératif de biologie, 330, avenue de Grande-Bretagne, Toulouse 31059 cedex, France; Laboratoire de microbiologie et génétique moléculaires (LMGM), IBCG, CNRS, université Paul-Sabatier, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France.

Early detection of Staphylococcus methicillin resistance (MR) is essential. However MR determination may be difficult because it is necessary to perform investigation of heterogenous resistance and low level of resistance and to discriminate between oxacillin resistance and borderline resistance. Several phenotypic methods are recommended but they fail to detect low level of production de PBP2a, the modified Penicillin Binding Protein responsible for MR. Detection of mecA gene, the gene encoding PBP2a, using PCR is considered to be the reference method. We evaluated Genotype((R)) MRSA, a new rapid system based on DNA multiplex amplification and further hybridisation, for the identification of staphylococci and detection of the mecA gene. The study was performed on a collection of various Staphylococcus strains (N=30) from clinical human isolates including S. aureus MR and methicillin susceptible (MS), S. epidermidis MR and MS, and other species of coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CNS) MR and MS. For all the strains, the hybridization banding pattern obtained using Genotype((R)) MRSA correlated with their expected phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Genotype((R)) MRSA allows the identification of the mecA gene as well as S. aureus and S. epidermidis specific genes. This DNA strip technology based assay can easily be incorporated into routine diagnostics. In addition, the short testing time (less than 2 hours) optimises treatment orientation. Genotype((R)) MRSA completely complies with all requirements for a fast, safe, valid and cost-effective MR diagnosis in staphylococci.

Published 17 November 2006 in Pathol Biol (Paris), 54(8): 502-505.
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