Clinical history, molecular characterization and accession numbers of sequenced and reference isolates.

a<p>: Whole genome sequenced contigs;</p>b<p>: Annotations for the SCC<i>mec</i> region;</p>c<p>Huang TW, Chen F, Miu WC, Liao TL, Lin AC, et al. (2012) J. Bacteriol 194:1256-1257;</p>d<p>: O'Brien FG, Coombs GW, Pearson JC, Christiansen KJ, Grubb WB. (2005) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother 49: 5129-5132;</p>e:<p>:Li S, Skov RL, Han X, Larsen AR, Larsen J, et al. (2011) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother 55: 3046-3050;</p>f<p>: Ito, T., Y. Katayama, K. Asada, N. Mori, K. Tsutsumimoto, C. Tiensasitorn, and K. Hiramatsu. 2001. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45: 1323-1336.</p

Novel Rearrangements in the Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome <i>Mec</i> Type V Elements of Indian ST772 and ST672 Methicillin Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Strains

<div><p><i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is a commensal gram positive bacteria which causes severe and non severe infections in humans and livestock. In India, ST772 is a dominant and ST672 is an emerging clone of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Both cause serious human diseases, and carry type V SCC<i>mec</i> elements. The objective of this study was to characterize SCC<i>mec</i> type V elements of ST772 and ST672 because the usual PCR methods did not amplify all primers specific to the type. Whole genome sequencing analysis of seven ST772 and one ST672 <i>S. aureus</i> isolates revealed that the SCC<i>mec</i> elements of six of the ST772 isolates were the smallest of the extant type V elements and in addition have several other novel features. Only one ST772 isolate and the ST672 isolate carried bigger SCC<i>mec</i> cassettes which were composites carrying multiple <i>ccrC</i> genes. These cassettes had some similarities to type V SCC<i>mec</i> element from M013 isolate (ST59) from Taiwan in certain aspects. SCC<i>mec</i> elements of all Indian isolates had an inversion of the <i>mec</i> complex, similar to the bovine SCC<i>mec</i> type X. This study reveals that six out of seven ST772 <i>S. aureus</i> isolates have a novel type V (5C2) SCC<i>mec</i> element while one each of ST772 and ST672 isolates have a composite SCC<i>mec</i> type V element (5C2&5) formed by the integration of type V SCC<i>mec</i> into a MSSA carrying a SCC element, in addition to the <i>mec</i> gene complex inversions and extensive recombinations.</p></div

Comparison of orfs from SCC<i>mec</i> elements of S. <i>aureus</i> 3957 and corresponding orthologs of other ST772, ST672 and reference strains.

a<p>Identity of the amino acid sequence to each ortholog (orf);</p>b<p>Corresponding Ortholog in the reference strain,</p>C<p>Hypothetical Protein;</p>d<p>ugpQ: glycerophosphoryl diester phosphodiesterase;</p>e<p>PhnB-like proteins adopting structural fold similar to bleomycin resistance proteins;</p>f<p>No Identity.</p