title: Enzymatic characterization of Staphylococcus aureus strains: a possible role of habitat and methicillin-resistance in the determination of the differences observed.
abstract: Twenty five strains of Staphylococcus aureus of human and environmental origin were tested for their enzymatic patterns. All human strains possessed acid phosphatase, while only 25% of the environmental staphylococci demonstrated acid phosphatase activity. In addition, the enzyme alpha-glucosidase was present only in the methicillin resistant-multiresistant strains, in spite of their origin. This work suggests a possible role of the enzyme on penicillin-binding protein mediated methicillin-resistance and stresses the importance of external habitat in the expression of enzymatic activity of bacteria. The enzymatic pattern may confirm or exclude cross-infection, when a single species, with uniformly antibiotic responses, is involved.
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases; D008712:Methicillin