Arrangement and number of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat spacers are associated with erythromycin susceptibility in emm12, emm75 and emm92 of group A streptococcus. (9th October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, P.‐X.; Chiang‐Ni, C.; Wang, S.‐Y.; Tsai, P.‐J.; Kuo, C.‐F.; Chuang, W.‐J.; Lin, Y.‐S.; Liu, C.‐C.; Wu, J.‐J.; Rolain, J.‐M.
• Is Part Of: Clinical microbiology and infection. Volume 20:Number 6(2014:Jun.)
• Page Start: 516
• Page End: 523
• Publication Date: 2013-10-09
• Subjects: Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Diagnostic microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.01
• DOI: 10.1111/1469-0691.12379
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1198-743X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="clm12379-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are composed of numerous repeat‐spacer units and are considered a prokaryotic defence system against foreign nucleic acids. Since antibiotic‐resistant genes are frequently encoded in foreign nucleic acids, the aim of this study was to test whether erythromycin susceptibility in group A streptococcus (<italic>Streptococcus pyogenes</italic>) is associated with characteristics of CRISPR elements. Erythromycin susceptibility of 330 isolates collected between 1997 and 2003 was analysed. Among 29 <italic>emm</italic> types, <italic>emm</italic>12, <italic>emm</italic>75 and <italic>emm</italic>92 showed significant changes in erythromycin‐resistance rates. By sequencing the spacers from two CRISPR loci, spacer contents in <italic>emm</italic>12, <italic>emm</italic>75 and <italic>emm</italic>92 strains were associated with erythromycin susceptibility. Strains with fewer spacers were more resistant to erythromycin. Moreover, in <italic>emm</italic>4 strains, which showed no significant change in their annual erythromycin‐resistance rate, CRISPR type and number of spacers were not correlated with erythromycin susceptibility. These results highlight a novel association between CRISPR spacer content and erythromycin susceptibility in group A streptococcus.</p> </abstract>