Mechanisms of methicillin resistance in staphylococci
Abstract
The continuously high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) throughout the world is a constant threat to public health, owing to the multiresistant characteristics of these bacteria. Methicillin resistance is phenotypically associated with the presence of the penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) not present in susceptible staphylococci. This protein has a low binding affinity for beta-lactam antibiotics. It is a transpeptidase which may take over cell wall synthesis during antibiotic treatment when normally occurring PBPs are inactivated by ligating beta-lactams. PBP2a is encoded by the mecA gene, which is located in mec, a foreign DNA region. Expression of PBP2a is regulated by proteins encoded by the plasmid-borne blaR1-bla1 inducer-repressor system and the corresponding genomic mecRl-mecl system. The blaRl-blal products are important both for the regulation of beta-lactamase and for mecA expression. Methicillin resistance is influenced by a number of additional factors, e.g. the products of the chromosomal fem genes which are important in the synthesis of normal peptidoglycan precursor molecules. Inactivation of fem-genes results in structurally deficient precursors which are not accepted as cell wall buil...Continue Reading
References
Stable classes of phenotypic expression in methicillin-resistant clinical isolates of staphylococci.
Cytoplasmic pools of soluble mRNA binding proteins and particles in Xenopus laevis early development
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