title: Copresence of tet(K) and tet(M) in Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clonal Complex 398 Is Associated with Increased Fitness during Exposure to Sublethal Concentrations of Tetracycline.
abstract: The tetracycline resistance gene tet(K) was shown to be integrated within the predominant staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) element of Danish livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus CC398 (LA-MRSA CC398). These LA-MRSA CC398 isolates already possessed tet(M), but the acquisition of tet(K) significantly improved their fitness at sublethal concentrations of tetracycline. Because tet(K) is genetically linked to SCCmec, the use of tetracycline in food animals may have contributed to the successful spread of LA-MRSA CC398.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark jrl@ssi.dk.
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0582-0457
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clasen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Paulander
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark European Programme for Public Health Microbiology, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anders R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Dorte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frees
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005838:Genotype; D058751:Livestock / Q000382:microbiology*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013752:Tetracycline