title: Vancomycin-intermediate resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and its precursor hetero-VISA (hVISA) were discovered almost 20 years ago and have continued to be a stumbling block in the chemotherapy of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Unlike vancomycin resistance mediated by the van gene in enterococci and staphylococci, VISA is generated by accumulation of mutations. It displays diverse and intriguing genetic mechanisms underlying its resistance phenotype. Here we make a brief note on our recent understanding of the genetics of hVISA, VISA and the newly discovered phenotype 'slow VISA' (sVISA).
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Research Center for Infection Control Science, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan. Electronic address: khiram06@juntendo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Research Center for Infection Control Science, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kayayama
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Research Center for Infection Control Science, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Research Center for Infection Control Science, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aiba
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Research Center for Infection Control Science, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Michie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Research Center for Infection Control Science, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hishinuma
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Research Center for Infection Control Science, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
keywords: Pre-hVISA; VISA; Vancomycin; hVISA; rpoB mutation; sVISA