Complete Circular Genome Sequence of Successful ST8/SCCmecIV Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (OC8) in Russia: One-Megabase Genomic Inversion, IS256's Spread, and Evolution of Russia ST8-IV

PLoS One. 2016 Oct 14;11(10):e0164168. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164168. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

ST8/SCCmecIV community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has been a common threat, with large USA300 epidemics in the United States. The global geographical structure of ST8/SCCmecIV has not yet been fully elucidated. We herein determined the complete circular genome sequence of ST8/SCCmecIVc strain OC8 from Siberian Russia. We found that 36.0% of the genome was inverted relative to USA300. Two IS256, oppositely oriented, at IS256-enriched hot spots were implicated with the one-megabase genomic inversion (MbIN) and vSaβ split. The behavior of IS256 was flexible: its insertion site (att) sequences on the genome and junction sequences of extrachromosomal circular DNA were all divergent, albeit with fixed sizes. A similar multi-IS256 system was detected, even in prevalent ST239 healthcare-associated MRSA in Russia, suggesting IS256's strong transmission potential and advantage in evolution. Regarding epidemiology, all ST8/SCCmecIVc strains from European, Siberian, and Far Eastern Russia, examined had MbIN, and geographical expansion accompanied divergent spa types and resistance to fluoroquinolones, chloramphenicol, and often rifampicin. Russia ST8/SCCmecIVc has been associated with life-threatening infections such as pneumonia and sepsis in both community and hospital settings. Regarding virulence, the OC8 genome carried a series of toxin and immune evasion genes, a truncated giant surface protein gene, and IS256 insertion adjacent to a pan-regulatory gene. These results suggest that unique single ST8/spa1(t008)/SCCmecIVc CA-MRSA (clade, Russia ST8-IVc) emerged in Russia, and this was followed by large geographical expansion, with MbIN as an epidemiological marker, and fluoroquinolone resistance, multiple virulence factors, and possibly a multi-IS256 system as selective advantages.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Biological Evolution
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / pathology
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / metabolism
  • DNA, Circular / chemistry
  • DNA, Circular / metabolism
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Erythromycin / pharmacology
  • Genome, Bacterial*
  • Genotype
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / genetics*
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / physiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / metabolism
  • Russia
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Inversion
  • Virulence / genetics

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA, Circular
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Erythromycin

Grants and funding

This study was supported by each institutional sources, including those to the 10th anniversary of the Japan-Russia joint research on infections from Far Eastern Federal University School of Biomedicine and Krasnoyarsk State Medical University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.