Pbp3 gene
Types I-III are hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) and type IV is community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). There are four (4) predominant SCC types of MRSA namely, type I, type II, type III and type IV MRSA. This is different from what is normally seen in Staphylococcus aureus, in which PBP2a is an alternate penicillin binding protein acquired form the environment that exhibits lower beta-lactam binding affinity. described single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a Streptococcus pneumoniae penicillin binding protein (pbp) gene ultimately leading to decreased susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. PBP2a purportedly has a lower affinity to β-lactam antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is reported to be associated with the acquisition of penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) by Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA bacterium is a variant of Staphylococcus aureus that has acquired drug resistance to β-lactam antibiotics such as methicillin, oxacillin, and ampicillin by the integration of a transposon known as Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome (SCC). It poses a major healthcare concern due to the high morbidity and mortality in patients associated with hospital and community acquired infections.
Since the first report of a clinical strain in England in 1961, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become one of the principal pathogenic bacteria of nosocomial infection.
Methods and reagents for detecting the presence of these polymorphisms are provided. The SNPs provided herein are useful for diagnostic detection in human CA-MRSA infection. Specifically, the identified SNPs present in penicillin binding protein 3 (pbp3) are useful for such applications as screening for the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), particularly community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). The disclosed naturally-occurring polymorphisms are valuable for association analysis. The present invention specifically provides previously unrecognized single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in the Staphylococcus aureus genome identified as being involved in bacteriology associated with a human disease. The present invention generally relates to the field of diagnosis of infection with a gram-positive bacterium in a mammal.