title: Application of the SCCmec element in the molecular typing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: Acquisition of the staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec) is one of the key reasons for the resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). SCCmec is composed of a mec gene complex encoding the PBP2a determinant that is responsible for the β-lactam resistance of MRSA, and a ccr gene complex encoding recombinases that mediate the integration of SCCmec into and its excision from the recipient chromosome, and so-called three junkyard (J) regions of different sizes. The SCCmec elements carried by MRSA from different geographic locations are diverse, and each type contains characteristic DNA fragments in size. These characteristics of SCCmec element may facilitate the usage of SCCmec in the molecular typing of MRSA strains. In this review, we summarize the structure and function of SCCmec elecments, and discuss the application of SCCmec elements in the molecular typing of MRSA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Yan-cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Ren-jie
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Xian-cai
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058889:Molecular Typing; D045522:Recombinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D045522:Recombinases