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Gene Review:

mecA - adaptor protein

Streptococcus pneumoniae R6

Wellinghausen, N. et al., van Leeuwen, W.B. et al., Hakenbeck, R. et al.

Wellinghausen, Wirths, Essig, Wassill, van Leeuwen, van Pelt, Luijendijk, Verbrugh, Goessens, Hakenbeck, Coyette,

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Disease relevance of mecA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococcal strains possess the mecA determinant gene, which probably evolved within the Staphylococcus genus from a closely related and physiologically functional gene that was modified by point mutations [1].
Both mecA PCR and MRSA-Screen displayed negative results among the methicillin-susceptible S. aureus strains (n = 106), as well as for Micrococcus spp [2].
The available probes allow the separate detection of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis/Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus pneumoniae and the staphylococcal mecA gene [3].

High impact information on mecA

The result of the mecA gene detection module correlated with the result of the phenotypic oxacillin resistance testing in all 38 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus investigated [3].
The three discrepant MRSA strains displayed positive results only after induction of the mecA gene by exposure to methicillin [2].

References

Resistant penicillin-binding proteins. Hakenbeck, R., Coyette, J. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. (1998) [Pubmed]
Rapid detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus isolates by the MRSA-screen latex agglutination test. van Leeuwen, W.B., van Pelt, C., Luijendijk, A., Verbrugh, H.A., Goessens, W.H. J. Clin. Microbiol. (1999) [Pubmed]
Evaluation of the Hyplex BloodScreen Multiplex PCR-Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system for direct identification of gram-positive cocci and gram-negative bacilli from positive blood cultures. Wellinghausen, N., Wirths, B., Essig, A., Wassill, L. J. Clin. Microbiol. (2004) [Pubmed]

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