1. Origin and evolution of DNA associated with resistance to methicillin in staphylococci
- Author
-
Gordon L. Archer and Debra M. Niemeyer
- Subjects
Microbiology (medical) ,DNA, Bacterial ,Staphylococcus ,Locus (genetics) ,Microbiology ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Virology ,Models of DNA evolution ,Cloning, Molecular ,Gene ,Genetics ,biology ,Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ,SCCmec ,Chromosome Mapping ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,bacterial infections and mycoses ,biology.organism_classification ,Infectious Diseases ,chemistry ,Genes, Bacterial ,Horizontal gene transfer ,Chromosomal dna ,Methicillin Resistance ,Bacteria ,DNA ,Gene Deletion - Abstract
The gene mediating resistance to methicillin in staphylococci (mecA) and its flanking sequences (mec DNA) make up a chromosomal DNA locus that is unique to methicillin-resistant bacteria; no equivalent locus exists in methicillin-susceptible cells. The origin of mec DNA is not known, but evidence supports horizontal transfer of mec DNA between different staphylococcal species and of the mecA gene between different Gram-positive genera.
- Published
- 1994