title: Partial excision of the chromosomal cassette containing the methicillin resistance determinant results in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: We report a detailed characterization of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates from five French hospitals negative for both the mecA and the ccrAB loci but positive for the IS431::pUB110::IS431::dcs structure, present in some Staphylococcus cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types. The presence of SCCmec-associated elements suggests that this unusual resistant phenotype is due to a partial excision of SCCmec from epidemic methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The hypothesis of a genetic relatedness is strengthened by common sequence and spa types and similar susceptibility patterns.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bactériologie-Virologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033 Rennes, France. pierre-yves.donnio@chu-rennes.fr
authors.forename: Pierre-Yves
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Donnio
authors.forename: Duarte C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Nuno A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Coustumier
authors.forename: Herminia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Lencastre
mesh_terms: D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*