Staphylococcus Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Staphylococcus, including details on mrsa, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Detection of the van alphabet and identification of enterococci and staphylococci at the species level by multiplex PCR.

Depardieu F, Perichon B, Courvalin P

Unité des Agents Antibactériens, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.

A multiplex PCR assay was developed for detection of the six types of glycopeptide resistance characterized in enterococci and for identification of Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis at the species level. Primers targeting the genes vanA, vanB, vanC, vanD, vanE, vanG, and ddl of E. faecium and E. faecalis and nuc of S. aureus and a chromosomal portion specific to S. epidermidis were designed to allow amplification of fragments with various sizes. This specific and sensitive technique allows detection of glycopeptide-resistant strains, in particular methicillin-resistant S. aureus, that may escape phenotype-based automated rapid methods.

Published 7 December 2004 in J Clin Microbiol, 42(12): 5857-60.
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