title: Phage Conversion for β-Lactam Antibiotic Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from Foods.
abstract: Temperate phages have been suggested to carry virulence factors and other lysogenic conversion genes that play important roles in pathogenicity. In this study, phage TEM123 in wild-type Staphylococcus aureus from food sources was analyzed with respect to its morphology, genome sequence, and antibiotic resistance conversion ability. Phage TEM123 from a mitomycin C-induced lysate of S. aureus was isolated from foods. Morphological analysis under a transmission electron microscope revealed that it belonged to the family Siphoviridae. The genome of phage TEM123 consisted of a double-stranded DNA of 43,786 bp with a G+C content of 34.06%. A bioinformatics analysis of the phage genome identified 43 putative open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encoded a protein that was nearly identical to the metallo-β-lactamase enzymes that degrade β-lactam antibiotics. After transduction to S. aureus with phage TEM123, the metallo-β-lactamase gene was confirmed in the transductant by PCR and sequencing analyses. In a β-lactam antibiotic susceptibility test, the transductant was more highly resistant to β-lactam antibiotics than S. aureus S133. Phage TEM123 might play a role in the transfer of β-lactam antibiotic resistance determinants in S. aureus. Therefore, we suggest that the prophage of S. aureus with its exotoxin is a risk factor for food safety in the food chain through lateral gene transfer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Engineering, Seowon University, Cheongju 362-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Duck
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Gachon University, Sungnam-Si 461-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D019295:Computational Biology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D059022:Food Safety; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D017906:Siphoviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics; D047090:beta-Lactams / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047090:beta-Lactams; D001618:beta-Lactamases
keywords: Genome; Metallo-β-lactamase; Phage conversion; Staphylococcus aureus