Staphylococcus aureus is the second leading cause of infections after Escherichia coli, with mortality rates reported as high as 25%. The methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) present an even greater problem, since only a handful of pharmacological agents are available for treatment. Current MRSA typing techniques, such as phage typing, plasmid profile analysis, and antibiotic susceptibility, are time-consuming and often inconclusive. / A rapid, semi-automated method for fingerprinting MRSA has been developed (Patent pending). The region between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using a fluorescent dye-labeled primer that hybridizes in the 16S rRNA gene and an unlabeled primer that hybridizes in the 23S rRNA gene. Both primers hybridize to a wide range of eubacterial species. The PCR product was digested with restriction endonucleases and each reaction mixture was analyzed by electrophoresis on a commercially available DNA sequencer. / Waveform patterns from an individual strain are similar to a traditional DNA fingerprint. The number of peaks and their relative amounts indicates the number and types of rRNA intergene regions in MRSA strains. The variability found within the intergene region of a number of MRSA strains suggests this method will be a useful tool for epidemiological studies of nosocomial Staphylococcus infections, and will have much broader application in the classification of eubacteria. / The rRNA operons of S. aureus were characterized by molecular cloning and DNA sequencing of the intergenic spacer between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes. The data revealed three types of rRNA operons. One type contains an isoleucine tRNA gene, followed immediately by an alanine tRNA gene. The second type contains no tRNA genes within the intergenic spacer region. The third type contains a single isoleucine tRNA gene. / Southern hybridizations using 16S and 23S radiolabeled oligonucleotide probes revealed a total of at least six rRNA operons within the S. aureus genome. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-09, Section: B, page: 3729. / Major Professor: Robert Hunter Reeves. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77273 |
| Contributors | Leggett, Carol Griffis., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 120 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
Page generated in 0.0018 seconds