What is the function of the mecA gene?

mecA is a gene found in bacterial cells which allows them to be resistant to antibiotics such as methicillin, penicillin and other penicillin-like antibiotics.

What gene makes MRSA resistant?

MRSA Resistance aureus, methicillin resistance is conferred by the expression of the mecA gene, which encodes PBP2a, a protein with low affinity for β-lactam antibiotics, conferring resistance to methicillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, and cephalosporins.

What do penicillin-binding proteins do?

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are bacterial proteins that bind to penicillin and other antibiotics of the β-lactam class. Penicillin-binding proteins are generally enzymes involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, so contribute essential roles in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis.

Why is MRSA resistant to penicillin?

Gram-positive bacteria acquire resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics through the production of a protein called PBP2a, which is able to avoid the inhibitory effects of the antibiotics. This is the mechanism by which MRSA is able to persist despite treatment with multiple beta-lactam antibiotics.

Does MSSA have mecA?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) arises when methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) acquires the staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec) element, which contains the mecA gene encoding an altered penicillin-binding protein, PBP2′ (PBP2a) with lowered binding affinity for β-lactams (12).

What is NUC gene?

The nuc gene, which encodes thermonuclease, is widely used as a specific target for the identification of S. aureus by PCR (Maes et al., 2002; Louie et al., 2002).

How does penicillin binding stop the enzyme from functioning?

When they bind to penicillin, the β-lactam amide bond is ruptured to form a covalent bond with the catalytic serine residue at the PBPs active site. This is an irreversible reaction and inactivates the enzyme.

What is the role of the penicillin binding protein FtsI in cell division?

FtsI is a transpeptidase that introduces peptide cross-linking into the peptidoglycan cell wall in the division septum (6, 37). AmiC is a periplasmic amidase that hydrolyzes peptide cross-links and contributes to the separation of daughter cells after division (25).

What is the difference between staph and MRSA?

MRSA is a type of staph infection that is resistant to certain antibiotics. The main difference is that an MRSA infection may require different types of antibiotics. MRSA and staph infections have similar symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatments.

Why is MRSA multidrug resistant?

aureus (MRSA) is associated with the acquisition of a mobile genetic element called the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec, which carries the mecA gene, encoding the low-affinity penicillin-binding protein 2a and confers resistance to the β-lactam antibiotics [3].

What is Staphylococcus PCR?

Staphylococcus aureus is mainly acquired from hospital infections and demonstrated the ability of developing resistance to many antibiotics. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to identify antibiotic-resistant isolates.

How do you diagnose Staphylococcus aureus?

Coagulase testing is the single most reliable method for identifying Staphylococcus aureus [9]. Coagulase production can be detected using either the slide coagulase test (SCT) or the tube coagulase test (TCT).

What happens when penicillin binds to penicillin-binding protein?

When they bind to penicillin, the β-lactam amide bond is ruptured to form a covalent bond with the catalytic serine residue at the PBPs active site. This is an irreversible reaction and inactivates the enzyme. There has been a great deal of research into PBPs because of their role in antibiotics and resistance.