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Characterization Of Transfer Of The Mobile Genomic Island Encoding Methicillin Resistance Among Staphylococci, Melissa D. Ray
Characterization Of Transfer Of The Mobile Genomic Island Encoding Methicillin Resistance Among Staphylococci, Melissa D. Ray
Theses and Dissertations
The gene encoding methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is carried in the chromosome on a large genomic island called SCCmec and is always inserted at the att site within orfX. SCCmec has been designated a mobile genetic element but a mechanism by which it moves among different strains and species of staphylococci has never been demonstrated. This work shows that bacteriophage 80α is capable of transducing SCCmec into a recipient cell, after which it can integrate into the bacterial chromosome via homologous recombination. More importantly, this work characterizes a conjugative mechanism of SCCmec transfer. …