title: LA-MRSA CC398 differ from classical community acquired-MRSA and hospital acquired-MRSA lineages: functional analysis of infection and colonization processes.
abstract: Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) of the clonal complex (CC) 398 became primarily known as colonizers of livestock animals. In the past few years, they have been increasingly introduced into hospitals with subsequent emergence of human infections. However, the (re-)adaptation to the human host is only incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess virulence properties of LA-MRSA CC398 by functional modeling of infection and colonization processes. A selection of 15 human LA-MRSA CC398 isolates and 11 pig-colonizing isolates were characterized regarding their virulence capacities and compared with human isolates of hospital-acquired (HA)-MRSA (CC5, CC22 and CC45) and community-associated (CA)-MRSA (CC8, CC30 and CC80) clonal lineages. Our investigations demonstrated that LA-MRSA CC398 adhered less efficient to human cells and human/bovine plasma fibronectin than CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA isolates. In contrast, the LA-MRSA CC398 isolates revealed a high cytotoxic potential comparable to certain CA-MRSA. Comparing the most prevalent LA-MRSA CC398 spa types (t011, t034, t108), isolates associated with spa t108 showed an increased adhesive and invasive potential paired with an increased ability to evade phagocytosis. The results underline both the pathogenic potential of LA-MRSA in general and the heterogeneity within the CC398 clade regarding the virulence characteristics of CC398 subpopulations. Assuming an ongoing (re-)adaptation to the human host combined with a huge reservoir of LA-MRSA CC398 in livestock and constant zoonotic transmission, the LA-MRSA CC398 lineage has the potential to pose a serious threat to human health.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ballhausen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Saarland Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kriegeskorte
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Phuti Edward
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Makgotlho
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Saarland Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ruffing
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Saarland Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Müller
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Köck
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Saarland Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wilma
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ziebuhr
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany. Electronic address: kbecker@uni-muenster.de.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Saarland Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bischoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D011485:Protein Binding; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins
keywords: Clonal complex CC398; Host–cell interaction; Human host; Livestock-associated MRSA; S. aureus; Virulence