Evaluation of PCR primers from putative transcriptional regulator genes for identification of Staphylococcus aureus.
OBJECTIVE
To examine if PCR primers derived from putative transcriptional regulator genes can be useful for Staphylococcus aureus identification.


RESULTS
Staphylococcus aureus gene sequences that encode transcriptional regulators were retrieved from GenBank and compared with other DNA sequences via BLAST searches. Two uniquely present, putative transcriptional regulator genes (i.e. Sa0836 and Sa0856) were selected as a consequence and PCR primers (Sa0836F/R and Sa0856F/R) were then designed from these genes for evaluation. A total of 84 bacterial strains/isolates including 23 Staph. aureus, 18 nonaureus Staphylococcus and 43 other common bacterial isolates were examined. The results indicated that PCR primers from Sa0836 and Sa0856 recognized genomic DNA from Staph. aureus only, but not from other non-aureus Staphylococcus or common bacteria.


CONCLUSIONS
PCR detection of the putative transcriptional regulator genes Sa0836 and Sa0856 represents a useful means of identifying Staph. aureus from other bacteria.


CONCLUSIONS
The existence of species-species transcriptional regulator genes may be a common phenomenon in bacteria. Besides their value as novel diagnostic markers, further investigation on the putative transcriptional regulator genes Sa0836 and Sa0856 and their related products may shed light on the molecular mechanisms of Staph. aureus adaptation and virulence.
Liu
D
D
Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA. liu@cvm.msstate.edu
Lawrence
M L
ML
Austin
F W
FW
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial