Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 8577310 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Variable degree of slime production is linked to different levels of beta-lactam susceptibility in Staphylococcus epidermidis phase variants.

Medical microbiology and immunology ·Vol. 184 ·No. 3 ·1995-10-00 ·Pages 109-13

Mempel M, Müller E, Hoffmann R, Feucht H, Laufs R, Grüter L

Abstract

Recently we demonstrated that lack of mecA transcription was responsible for the decreased methicillin resistance phenotype of strongly slime-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis phase variants [Mempel M, Feucht H, Ziehbuhr W, Endres M, Laufs R, Grüter L (1994) Antimicrob Agents Chemother 38: 1251-1255]. In the present study we compared the beta-lactam susceptibility and the slime production capacity of 60 phenotypic variants of S. epidermidis parent strain RP62A identified by their colony morphology on congo red agar. We could show that the variable degree of slime production is linked to different levels of beta-lactam susceptibility in intermediate-stage phase variants. The increased deltahemolysin production of slime-negative phase variants may indicate an accessory gene regulator-like control.

MeSH Terms
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology Bacterial Adhesion Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis,genetics Base Sequence Blotting, Southern Genetic Variation Hemolysin Proteins Methicillin Resistance Microbial Sensitivity Tests Molecular Sequence Data Staphylococcus epidermidis/drug effects,genetics,pathogenicity Trans-Activators Transcription Factors/genetics beta-Lactams
Chemicals
Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus Anti-Bacterial Agents Bacterial Proteins Hemolysin Proteins Trans-Activators Transcription Factors beta-Lactams extracellular slime proteins, bacterial delta hemolysin protein, Staphylococcus aureus
Authors & Affiliations
6 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Mempel M
Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Müller E
Hoffmann R
Feucht H
Laufs R
Grüter L
References (23)
23 references, click to expand
  1. Coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from cerebrospinal fluid shunts: importance of slime production, species identification, and shunt removal to clinical outcome.
    J Infect Dis. 1987 Oct;156(4):548-54 PMID: 3624904
  2. Association of coagulase-negative staphylococcal slime production and adherence with the development and outcome of adult septicemias.
    J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Dec;28(12):2779-85 PMID: 2280010
  3. Usefulness of a test for slime production as a marker for clinically significant infections with coagulase-negative staphylococci.
    J Infect Dis. 1986 Feb;153(2):332-9 PMID: 2935582
  4. Association of slime with pathogenicity of coagulase-negative staphylococci causing nosocomial septicemia.
    J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Dec;22(6):1025-9 PMID: 4066912
  5. Construction of a slime negative transposon mutant in Staphylococcus epidermidis using the Enterococcus faecalis transposon Tn917.
    Microbiol Immunol. 1993;37(1):35-40 PMID: 8386300
  6. A study of phenotypic variation of Staphylococcus epidermidis using Congo red agar.
    Epidemiol Infect. 1992 Dec;109(3):423-32 PMID: 1468527
  7. Cloning, characterization, and sequencing of an accessory gene regulator (agr) in Staphylococcus aureus.
    J Bacteriol. 1988 Sep;170(9):4365-72 PMID: 2457579
  8. Adherence of coagulase-negative staphylococci to plastic tissue culture plates: a quantitative model for the adherence of staphylococci to medical devices.
    J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Dec;22(6):996-1006 PMID: 3905855
  9. Amino acid sequence of a deltalike toxin from Staphylococcus epidermidis.
    Infect Immun. 1990 May;58(5):1473-5 PMID: 2323825
  10. New method for detecting slime production by coagulase negative staphylococci.
    J Clin Pathol. 1989 Aug;42(8):872-4 PMID: 2475530
  11. Phenotypic variation of Staphylococcus epidermidis in infection of transvenous endocardial pacemaker electrodes.
    J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Apr;28(4):676-9 PMID: 2332465
  12. Delta-like toxin produced by coagulase-negative staphylococci is associated with neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.
    Infect Immun. 1987 Sep;55(9):2268-73 PMID: 3623702
  13. Genotypic identification of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci by polymerase chain reaction.
    Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1991 Dec;35(12):2568-73 PMID: 1810190
  14. Clinical significance of a test for slime production in ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci.
    J Infect Dis. 1987 Oct;156(4):555-60 PMID: 3624905
  15. Experimental foreign body infections in mice challenged with slime-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis.
    Infect Immun. 1983 Apr;40(1):407-10 PMID: 6339407
  16. Phenotypic variation of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from a patient with native valve endocarditis.
    J Clin Microbiol. 1992 Sep;30(9):2385-90 PMID: 1401003
  17. Correlation between regulation of mecA transcription and expression of methicillin resistance in staphylococci.
    Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1992 Jan;36(1):25-31 PMID: 1375449
  18. Phenotypic variation of Staphylococcus epidermidis slime production in vitro and in vivo.
    Infect Immun. 1987 Dec;55(12):2870-7 PMID: 3679536
  19. Colonial morphology of staphylococci on Memphis agar: phase variation of slime production, resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, and virulence.
    J Infect Dis. 1990 Jun;161(6):1153-69 PMID: 2345296
  20. Phenotypic characterization of xpr, a global regulator of extracellular virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus.
    Infect Immun. 1993 Mar;61(3):919-25 PMID: 8432612
  21. Lack of mecA transcription in slime-negative phase variants of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis.
    Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1994 Jun;38(6):1251-5 PMID: 8092822
  22. Parallel induction by glucose of adherence and a polysaccharide antigen specific for plastic-adherent Staphylococcus epidermidis: evidence for functional relation to intercellular adhesion.
    Infect Immun. 1992 May;60(5):2048-57 PMID: 1314224
  23. Cloning of a chromosomal locus (exp) which regulates the expression of several exoprotein genes in Staphylococcus aureus.
    Mol Gen Genet. 1988 Mar;211(3):435-40 PMID: 3285138
Article Info
Journal
Medical microbiology and immunology
Abbr.
Med Microbiol Immunol
ISSN
0300-8584
DOI
10.1007/BF00224346
Published
1995-10-00
Pages
109-13
Language
English
Region
Germany
NLM ID
0314524
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF00224346 View journal details
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright © 2026.Genelibs Jinan Honghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 鲁ICP备20007159号-2