Identification of Staphylococcus epidermidis in the clinical microbiology laboratory by molecular methods.
Biochemical assays for the phenotypic identification of coagulase-negative staphylococci in the clinical microbiology laboratory have been well described in previous publications (Becker and Von Eiff Manual of Clinical Microbiology, ASM Press, Washington, pp. 308-330, 2011; Kloos and Wolfshohl J Clin Microbiol 16:509-516, 1982). This discussion focuses on identification of Staphylococcus epidermidis through molecular and proteomic methods. Molecular assays have been shown to be more discriminatory between the coagulase-negative staphylococcal species than are phenotypic assays (Zadoks and Watts Vet Microbiol 134:20-28, 2009; Sheraba et al. BMC Res Notes 3:278, 2010; Patteet et al. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 31:747-751, 2012). The molecular and proteomic methods that have shown the greatest utilization potential within the clinical laboratory are as follows: PCR amplification and sequencing of discriminatory genes, real-time polymerase chain reaction with species-specific probes in conjunction with a melt-curve analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Amity L
AL
Roberts
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D058889:Molecular Typing / Q000379:methods; D020543:Proteome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D020543:Proteome