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Birgit Strommenger
Department of Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch-Institute, Germany

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Microbiology
Published: 27 April 2021 in Frontiers in Microbiology
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A Corrigendum on Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus by Weber, R. E., Fuchs, S., Layer, F., Sommer, A., Bender, J. K., Thürmer, A., et al. (2021). Front. Microbiol. 12:639660. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.639660 In the published article, there was an error in affiliations. Instead of “Robert E. Weber1, 2, Stephan Fuchs3, Franziska Layer1, 2, Anna Sommer1, 2, Jennifer K. Bender1, 2, Andrea Thürmer3, Guido Werner1, 2 and Birgit Strommenger1, 2* 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch-Institute, Wernigerode, Germany 2 Methodology and Research Infrastructure, Genome Sequencing, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany 3 Methodology and Research Infrastructure, Bioinformatics, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany”, it should be “Robert E. Weber1, Stephan Fuchs2, Franziska Layer1, Anna Sommer1, Jennifer K. Bender1, Andrea Thürmer3, Guido Werner1 and Birgit Strommenger1 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch-Institute, Wernigerode, Germany 2 Methodology and Research Infrastructure, Bioinformatics, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany 3 Methodology and Research Infrastructure, Genome Sequencing, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany” The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated. Keywords: GWAS, daptomycin, ceftaroline, S. aureus, antibiotic resistance, PLINK, SEER Citation: Weber RE, Fuchs S, Layer F, Sommer A, Bender JK, Thürmer A, Werner G and Strommenger B (2021) Corrigendum: Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Front. Microbiol. 12:686197. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.686197 Received: 26 March 2021; Accepted: 01 April 2021; Published: 27 April 2021. Approved by: Copyright © 2021 Weber, Fuchs, Layer, Sommer, Bender, Thürmer, Werner and Strommenger. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. *Correspondence: Birgit Strommenger, [email protected]

ACS Style

Robert E. Weber; Stephan Fuchs; Franziska Layer; Anna Sommer; Jennifer K. Bender; Andrea Thürmer; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. Corrigendum: Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Frontiers in Microbiology 2021, 12, 686197 .

AMA Style

Robert E. Weber, Stephan Fuchs, Franziska Layer, Anna Sommer, Jennifer K. Bender, Andrea Thürmer, Guido Werner, Birgit Strommenger. Corrigendum: Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2021; 12 ():686197.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robert E. Weber; Stephan Fuchs; Franziska Layer; Anna Sommer; Jennifer K. Bender; Andrea Thürmer; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. 2021. "Corrigendum: Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus." Frontiers in Microbiology 12, no. : 686197.

Microbiology
Published: 15 February 2021 in Frontiers in Microbiology
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Background As next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have experienced a rapid development over the last decade, the investigation of the bacterial genetic architecture reveals a high potential to dissect causal loci of antibiotic resistance phenotypes. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successfully applied for investigating the basis of resistance traits, complex resistance phenotypes have been omitted so far. For S. aureus this especially refers to antibiotics of last resort like daptomycin and ceftaroline. Therefore, we aimed to perform GWAS for the identification of genetic variants associated with DAP and CPT resistance in clinical S. aureus isolates. Materials/methods To conduct microbial GWAS, we selected cases and controls according to their clonal background, date of isolation, and geographical origin. Association testing was performed with PLINK and SEER analysis. By using in silico analysis, we also searched for rare genetic variants in candidate loci that have previously been described to be involved in the development of corresponding resistance phenotypes. Results GWAS revealed MprF P314L and L826F to be significantly associated with DAP resistance. These mutations were found to be homogenously distributed among clonal lineages suggesting convergent evolution. Additionally, rare and yet undescribed single nucleotide polymorphisms could be identified within mprF and putative candidate genes. Finally, we could show that each DAP resistant isolate exhibited at least one amino acid substitution within the open reading frame of mprF. Due to the presence of strong population stratification, no genetic variants could be associated with CPT resistance. However, the investigation of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) revealed various mecA SNPs to be putatively linked with CPT resistance. Additionally, some CPT resistant isolates revealed no mecA mutations, supporting the hypothesis that further and still unknown resistance determinants are crucial for the development of CPT resistance in S. aureus. Conclusion We hereby confirmed the potential of GWAS to identify genetic variants that are associated with antibiotic resistance traits in S. aureus. However, precautions need to be taken to prevent the detection of spurious associations. In addition, the implementation of different approaches is still essential to detect multiple forms of variations and mutations that occur with a low frequency.

ACS Style

Robert E. Weber; Stephan Fuchs; Franziska Layer; Anna Sommer; Jennifer K. Bender; Andrea Thürmer; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Frontiers in Microbiology 2021, 12, 1 .

AMA Style

Robert E. Weber, Stephan Fuchs, Franziska Layer, Anna Sommer, Jennifer K. Bender, Andrea Thürmer, Guido Werner, Birgit Strommenger. Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2021; 12 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robert E. Weber; Stephan Fuchs; Franziska Layer; Anna Sommer; Jennifer K. Bender; Andrea Thürmer; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. 2021. "Genome-Wide Association Studies for the Detection of Genetic Variants Associated With Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus." Frontiers in Microbiology 12, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 24 January 2020 in Toxins
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Rats are a reservoir of human- and livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, the composition of the natural S. aureus population in wild and laboratory rats is largely unknown. Here, 144 nasal S. aureus isolates from free-living wild rats, captive wild rats and laboratory rats were genotyped and profiled for antibiotic resistances and human-specific virulence genes. The nasal S. aureus carriage rate was higher among wild rats (23.4%) than laboratory rats (12.3%). Free-living wild rats were primarily colonized with isolates of clonal complex (CC) 49 and CC130 and maintained these strains even in husbandry. Moreover, upon livestock contact, CC398 isolates were acquired. In contrast, laboratory rats were colonized with many different S. aureus lineages—many of which are commonly found in humans. Five captive wild rats were colonized with CC398-MRSA. Moreover, a single CC30-MRSA and two CC130-MRSA were detected in free-living or captive wild rats. Rat-derived S. aureus isolates rarely harbored the phage-carried immune evasion gene cluster or superantigen genes, suggesting long-term adaptation to their host. Taken together, our study revealed a natural S. aureus population in wild rats, as well as a colonization pressure on wild and laboratory rats by exposure to livestock- and human-associated S. aureus, respectively.

ACS Style

Dina Raafat; Daniel M. Mrochen; Fawaz Al’Sholui; Elisa Heuser; René Ryll; Kathleen R. Pritchett-Corning; Jens Jacob; Bernd Walther; Franz-Rainer Matuschka; Dania Richter; Uta Westerhüs; Jiri Pikula; Jens Van Den Brandt; Werner Nicklas; Stefan Monecke; Birgit Strommenger; Sarah Van Alen; Karsten Becker; Rainer G. Ulrich; Silva Holtfreter. Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Wild, Captive and Laboratory Rats: Effect of Habitat on the Nasal S. aureus Population. Toxins 2020, 12, 80 .

AMA Style

Dina Raafat, Daniel M. Mrochen, Fawaz Al’Sholui, Elisa Heuser, René Ryll, Kathleen R. Pritchett-Corning, Jens Jacob, Bernd Walther, Franz-Rainer Matuschka, Dania Richter, Uta Westerhüs, Jiri Pikula, Jens Van Den Brandt, Werner Nicklas, Stefan Monecke, Birgit Strommenger, Sarah Van Alen, Karsten Becker, Rainer G. Ulrich, Silva Holtfreter. Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Wild, Captive and Laboratory Rats: Effect of Habitat on the Nasal S. aureus Population. Toxins. 2020; 12 (2):80.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dina Raafat; Daniel M. Mrochen; Fawaz Al’Sholui; Elisa Heuser; René Ryll; Kathleen R. Pritchett-Corning; Jens Jacob; Bernd Walther; Franz-Rainer Matuschka; Dania Richter; Uta Westerhüs; Jiri Pikula; Jens Van Den Brandt; Werner Nicklas; Stefan Monecke; Birgit Strommenger; Sarah Van Alen; Karsten Becker; Rainer G. Ulrich; Silva Holtfreter. 2020. "Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Wild, Captive and Laboratory Rats: Effect of Habitat on the Nasal S. aureus Population." Toxins 12, no. 2: 80.

Journal article
Published: 09 February 2018 in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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ObjectivesTo investigate an outbreak of linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (LRSE) in an interdisciplinary ICU, linezolid consumption and infection control measures taken.MethodsRoutine surveillance of nosocomial infections revealed colonization and infection with LRSE affecting 14 patients during a 15 month period. LRSE isolates were analysed with respect to their clonal relatedness, antimicrobial susceptibility, the presence of cfr and/or mutations in the 23S rRNA, rplC, rplD and rplV genes. cfr plasmids were characterized by Illumina sequencing. Medical records were reviewed and antibiotic consumption was determined.ResultsMolecular typing identified the presence of three different LRSE clusters: PFGE type I/ST168 (n = 5), PFGE type II/ST5 (n = 10) and PFGE type III/ST2 (n = 1). Ten strains harboured the cfr gene; we also detected mutations in the respective ribosomal protein genes. WGS revealed an almost identical 39 kb cfr plasmid obtained from strains of different genetic background (ST2, ST5, ST168) that shows high similarity to the recently published LRSE plasmid p12-02300. Due to an increase in the number of patients treated for infections with MRSA, a significant increase in linezolid usage was noted from January to July 2014 (from 5.55 to 20.41 DDDs/100 patient-days).ConclusionsHere, we report the molecular epidemiology of LRSE in an ICU. Our results suggest the selection of resistant mutants under linezolid treatment as well as the spread of cfr-carrying plasmids. The reduction of linezolid usage and the strengthening of contact precautions proved to be effective infection control measures.

ACS Style

Christina Weßels; Birgit Strommenger; Ingo Klare; Jennifer Bender; Sabine Messler; Frauke Mattner; Michael Krakau; Guido Werner; Franziska Layer. Emergence and control of linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in an ICU of a German hospital. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2018, 73, 1185 -1193.

AMA Style

Christina Weßels, Birgit Strommenger, Ingo Klare, Jennifer Bender, Sabine Messler, Frauke Mattner, Michael Krakau, Guido Werner, Franziska Layer. Emergence and control of linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in an ICU of a German hospital. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2018; 73 (5):1185-1193.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christina Weßels; Birgit Strommenger; Ingo Klare; Jennifer Bender; Sabine Messler; Frauke Mattner; Michael Krakau; Guido Werner; Franziska Layer. 2018. "Emergence and control of linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in an ICU of a German hospital." Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 73, no. 5: 1185-1193.

Journal article
Published: 19 January 2018 in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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The multi-clonal dissemination of CC5 linezolid-dependent LRSE throughout German hospitals along with the clonal expansion of ST22 linezolid-dependent LRSE in Greek hospitals is of particular concern. It is plausible that this characteristic is inherent and provides a selective advantage to CC5 LRSE under linezolid pressure, contributing to their dissemination throughout hospitals in these countries.

ACS Style

Franziska Layer; Sophia Vourli; Vasilis Karavasilis; Birgit Strommenger; Konstantina Dafopoulou; Athanassios Tsakris; Guido Werner; Spyros Pournaras. Dissemination of linezolid-dependent, linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates belonging to CC5 in German hospitals. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2018, 73, 1181 -1184.

AMA Style

Franziska Layer, Sophia Vourli, Vasilis Karavasilis, Birgit Strommenger, Konstantina Dafopoulou, Athanassios Tsakris, Guido Werner, Spyros Pournaras. Dissemination of linezolid-dependent, linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates belonging to CC5 in German hospitals. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2018; 73 (5):1181-1184.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Franziska Layer; Sophia Vourli; Vasilis Karavasilis; Birgit Strommenger; Konstantina Dafopoulou; Athanassios Tsakris; Guido Werner; Spyros Pournaras. 2018. "Dissemination of linezolid-dependent, linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates belonging to CC5 in German hospitals." Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 73, no. 5: 1181-1184.

Book chapter
Published: 01 January 2018 in Staphylococcus Aureus
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ACS Style

Claire B. Andreasen; Karsten Becker; Paula Bourke; Sara Ceballos; Marco Ebert; Rendong Fang; Andrea T. Feßler; Alexandra Fetsch; Paula Gómez; Delia Grace; Jacques-Antoine Hennekinne; Dong-Liang Hu; Kristina Kadlec; Franziska Layer; Jun Li; Catherine M. Logue; Agata Los; Masashi Okamura; Hisaya K. Ono; Maria De Lourdes Ribeiro De Souza Da Cunha; Pedro Rodríguez-López; Stefan Schwarz; John F. Sheehan; Birgit Strommenger; Sandra M. Tallent; Carmen Torres; Daniel Vázquez-Sánchez; Lizhe Wang; Yang Wang; Guido Werner; Myriam Zarazaga; Dana Ziuzina. List of Contributors. Staphylococcus Aureus 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Claire B. Andreasen, Karsten Becker, Paula Bourke, Sara Ceballos, Marco Ebert, Rendong Fang, Andrea T. Feßler, Alexandra Fetsch, Paula Gómez, Delia Grace, Jacques-Antoine Hennekinne, Dong-Liang Hu, Kristina Kadlec, Franziska Layer, Jun Li, Catherine M. Logue, Agata Los, Masashi Okamura, Hisaya K. Ono, Maria De Lourdes Ribeiro De Souza Da Cunha, Pedro Rodríguez-López, Stefan Schwarz, John F. Sheehan, Birgit Strommenger, Sandra M. Tallent, Carmen Torres, Daniel Vázquez-Sánchez, Lizhe Wang, Yang Wang, Guido Werner, Myriam Zarazaga, Dana Ziuzina. List of Contributors. Staphylococcus Aureus. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Claire B. Andreasen; Karsten Becker; Paula Bourke; Sara Ceballos; Marco Ebert; Rendong Fang; Andrea T. Feßler; Alexandra Fetsch; Paula Gómez; Delia Grace; Jacques-Antoine Hennekinne; Dong-Liang Hu; Kristina Kadlec; Franziska Layer; Jun Li; Catherine M. Logue; Agata Los; Masashi Okamura; Hisaya K. Ono; Maria De Lourdes Ribeiro De Souza Da Cunha; Pedro Rodríguez-López; Stefan Schwarz; John F. Sheehan; Birgit Strommenger; Sandra M. Tallent; Carmen Torres; Daniel Vázquez-Sánchez; Lizhe Wang; Yang Wang; Guido Werner; Myriam Zarazaga; Dana Ziuzina. 2018. "List of Contributors." Staphylococcus Aureus , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2017 in Diversity
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Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen causing osteomyelitis, amongst other diseases, and its methicillin-resistant form (MRSA) in particular poses a huge threat to public health. To increase our knowledge of the origin and evolution of S. aureus, genetic studies of historical microorganisms may be beneficial. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether osteomyelitic skeletal material (autopsy specimens collected from the mid 19th century until the 1920s) is suitable for detecting historical S. aureus DNA sequences. We established a PCR-based analysis system targeting two specific genes of S. aureus (nuc and fib). We successfully amplified the historical S. aureus nuc and fib sequences for six and seven pre-antibiotic, osteomyelitic bone specimens, respectively. These results encourage further investigations of historical S. aureus genomes that may increase our understanding of pathogen evolution in relation to anthropogenically introduced antibiotics.

ACS Style

Anna Lena Flux; Janine Mazanec; Birgit Strommenger; Susanne Hummel. Staphylococcus aureus Sequences from Osteomyelitic Specimens of a Pathological Bone Collection from Pre-Antibiotic Times. Diversity 2017, 9, 43 .

AMA Style

Anna Lena Flux, Janine Mazanec, Birgit Strommenger, Susanne Hummel. Staphylococcus aureus Sequences from Osteomyelitic Specimens of a Pathological Bone Collection from Pre-Antibiotic Times. Diversity. 2017; 9 (4):43.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Lena Flux; Janine Mazanec; Birgit Strommenger; Susanne Hummel. 2017. "Staphylococcus aureus Sequences from Osteomyelitic Specimens of a Pathological Bone Collection from Pre-Antibiotic Times." Diversity 9, no. 4: 43.

Comparative study
Published: 07 August 2017 in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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ObjectivesMRSA remains a major cause of severe nosocomial infections and the increased use of vancomycin and daptomycin for MRSA treatment over the last decade has led to the isolation of MRSA strains with decreased daptomycin susceptibility. In addition, a growing number of MSSA isolates with reduced susceptibility to daptomycin have been described lately. Surveillance of the emergence of such a daptomycin-non-susceptible MSSA population requires prompt and reliable daptomycin susceptibility testing. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the ability of commonly used methods to detect daptomycin resistance in clinical microbiological laboratories.MethodsWe used commercially available manual and automated test systems, including VITEK® 2 and three gradient strip assays, in comparison with broth microdilution, to detect daptomycin resistance in a representative Staphylococcus aureus strain collection.ResultsWe found high inter-assay concordance as well as congruence with the reference method. This is demonstrated by essential agreement between commercial test systems and reference broth microdilution ranging from 98.1% to 100% and by categorical agreement from 98.2% to 99.1%. Thus, all systems used were able to detect daptomycin non-susceptibility in MRSA and MSSA isolates.ConclusionsOur data indicate that routine laboratories are at limited risk of overlooking further daptomycin resistance development, as long as commercially available test systems are used according to the manufacturer's recommendations. However, laboratories must be aware of an increasing number of daptomycin-non-susceptible MSSA isolates, including those exhibiting elevated MICs of glycopeptides.

ACS Style

Robert E Weber; Franziska Layer; Ingo Klare; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. Comparative evaluation of VITEK® 2 and three commercial gradient strip assays for daptomycin susceptibility testing of Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2017, 72, 3059 -3062.

AMA Style

Robert E Weber, Franziska Layer, Ingo Klare, Guido Werner, Birgit Strommenger. Comparative evaluation of VITEK® 2 and three commercial gradient strip assays for daptomycin susceptibility testing of Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2017; 72 (11):3059-3062.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robert E Weber; Franziska Layer; Ingo Klare; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. 2017. "Comparative evaluation of VITEK® 2 and three commercial gradient strip assays for daptomycin susceptibility testing of Staphylococcus aureus." Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 72, no. 11: 3059-3062.

Journal article
Published: 25 August 2016 in Genome Announcements
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Here, we report the high-quality draft genome sequences of two methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 08-02119 and 08-02300. Belonging to sequence type 582 (ST582) and ST7, both isolates are representatives of clonal lineages often associated with asymptomatic colonization of humans.

ACS Style

Robert E. Weber; Franziska Layer; Stephan Fuchs; Jennifer K. Bender; Stefan Fiedler; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. Complete Genome Sequences of Two Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Representing a Population Subset Highly Prevalent in Human Colonization. Genome Announcements 2016, 4, e00716-16 .

AMA Style

Robert E. Weber, Franziska Layer, Stephan Fuchs, Jennifer K. Bender, Stefan Fiedler, Guido Werner, Birgit Strommenger. Complete Genome Sequences of Two Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Representing a Population Subset Highly Prevalent in Human Colonization. Genome Announcements. 2016; 4 (4):e00716-16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robert E. Weber; Franziska Layer; Stephan Fuchs; Jennifer K. Bender; Stefan Fiedler; Guido Werner; Birgit Strommenger. 2016. "Complete Genome Sequences of Two Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Representing a Population Subset Highly Prevalent in Human Colonization." Genome Announcements 4, no. 4: e00716-16.

Research article
Published: 08 May 2015 in PLOS ONE
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Ceftaroline is a new cephalosporin active against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Based on a representative collection of clinical S. aureus isolates from Germany, supplemented with isolates of clonal lineages ST228 and ST239, we demonstrate the in-vitro susceptibility towards ceftaroline prior to its introduction into clinical use for a total of 219 isolates. Susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution, disc diffusion and Etest, respectively. Results were interpreted according to EUCAST guidelines and showed considerable variance in dependence on clonal affiliation of the isolates tested. Among isolates of widespread hospital-associated lineages we found a high proportion of clinical isolates with MICs close to the EUCAST breakpoint (MIC50/90 1.0/1.5 mg/L); currently, interpretation of these “borderline” MICs is complicated by a lack of concordant susceptibility testing methods and reasonable breakpoint determination. Isolates of clonal lineages ST228 and ST239 demonstrated increased MIC50/90 values of 2.5/3.33 mg/L. Sequencing of mecA revealed no association of resistance to a specific mecA polymorphism, but rather reveals two regions in the non-penicillin-binding domain of PbP2a which displayed different combinations of mutations putatively involved in resistance development. This study provides national baseline data to (i) adjust susceptibility testing methods and current breakpoints to clinical and epidemiological requirements, (ii) evaluate current breakpoints with respect to therapeutic outcome and (iii) monitor further resistance evolution.

ACS Style

Birgit Strommenger; Franziska Layer; Ingo Klare; Guido Werner. Pre-Use Susceptibility to Ceftaroline in Clinical Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Germany: Is There a Non-Susceptible Pool to be Selected? PLOS ONE 2015, 10, e0125864 -e0125864.

AMA Style

Birgit Strommenger, Franziska Layer, Ingo Klare, Guido Werner. Pre-Use Susceptibility to Ceftaroline in Clinical Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Germany: Is There a Non-Susceptible Pool to be Selected? PLOS ONE. 2015; 10 (5):e0125864-e0125864.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Birgit Strommenger; Franziska Layer; Ingo Klare; Guido Werner. 2015. "Pre-Use Susceptibility to Ceftaroline in Clinical Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Germany: Is There a Non-Susceptible Pool to be Selected?" PLOS ONE 10, no. 5: e0125864-e0125864.

Journal article
Published: 03 March 2015 in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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This study was a detailed investigation of Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates exhibiting linezolid resistance. Thirty-six linezolid-resistant S. epidermidis from eight German hospitals, including isolates from suspected hospital-associated outbreaks between January 2012 and April 2013, were analysed with respect to their antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of cfr and/or mutations in the 23S rRNA, rplC, rplD and rplV genes. Relatedness of isolates was estimated by MLST and SmaI macrorestriction analysis. Characterization of cfr plasmids was carried out by means of Illumina sequencing. The MICs of linezolid varied substantially between the isolates. No apparent correlation was detected between the level of resistance, the presence of cfr and ribosomal target site mutations. S. epidermidis isolates from two hospitals were confirmed as clonally related, indicating the spread of the respective clone over a period of 1 year. Next-generation sequencing revealed two different categories of cfr-expressing plasmids, both of them varying in genetic arrangement and composition from previously published cfr plasmids: p12-00322-like plasmids showed incorporation of cfr into a pGO1-like backbone and displayed capabilities for intra- and inter-species conjugational transfer. To date, linezolid-resistant S. epidermidis have rarely been isolated from human clinical sources in Germany. Here, we describe the emergence and outbreaks of these strains. We detected previously described and novel point mutations in the 23S ribosomal genes. The cfr gene was only present in six isolates. However, this is the first known description of cfr incorporation into conjugative vectors; under selective pressure, these vectors could give reasonable cause for concern.

ACS Style

Jennifer Bender; Birgit Strommenger; Matthias Steglich; Ortrud Zimmermann; Ines Fenner; Carmen Lensing; Urantschimeg Dagwadordsch; Alexander S. Kekulé; Guido Werner; Franziska Layer. Linezolid resistance in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis from German hospitals and characterization of two cfr-carrying plasmids. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2015, 70, 1630 -1638.

AMA Style

Jennifer Bender, Birgit Strommenger, Matthias Steglich, Ortrud Zimmermann, Ines Fenner, Carmen Lensing, Urantschimeg Dagwadordsch, Alexander S. Kekulé, Guido Werner, Franziska Layer. Linezolid resistance in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis from German hospitals and characterization of two cfr-carrying plasmids. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2015; 70 (6):1630-1638.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jennifer Bender; Birgit Strommenger; Matthias Steglich; Ortrud Zimmermann; Ines Fenner; Carmen Lensing; Urantschimeg Dagwadordsch; Alexander S. Kekulé; Guido Werner; Franziska Layer. 2015. "Linezolid resistance in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis from German hospitals and characterization of two cfr-carrying plasmids." Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 70, no. 6: 1630-1638.

Book chapter
Published: 30 April 2014 in Gram-Positive Pathogens
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ACS Style

Wolfgang Witte; Birgit Strommenger; Guido Werner. Diagnostics, Typing, and Taxonomy. Gram-Positive Pathogens 2014, 371 -380.

AMA Style

Wolfgang Witte, Birgit Strommenger, Guido Werner. Diagnostics, Typing, and Taxonomy. Gram-Positive Pathogens. 2014; ():371-380.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wolfgang Witte; Birgit Strommenger; Guido Werner. 2014. "Diagnostics, Typing, and Taxonomy." Gram-Positive Pathogens , no. : 371-380.

English abstract
Published: 01 January 2014 in Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni
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ACS Style

Sule Kırca Yılmaz; Ibrahim Cağatay Acuner; Birgit Strommenger; Yüksel Bek; Wolfgang Witte. [Infectivity-resistotype-genotype clustering of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in the Central Blacksea Region of Turkey]. Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni 2014, 48, 1 .

AMA Style

Sule Kırca Yılmaz, Ibrahim Cağatay Acuner, Birgit Strommenger, Yüksel Bek, Wolfgang Witte. [Infectivity-resistotype-genotype clustering of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in the Central Blacksea Region of Turkey]. Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni. 2014; 48 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sule Kırca Yılmaz; Ibrahim Cağatay Acuner; Birgit Strommenger; Yüksel Bek; Wolfgang Witte. 2014. "[Infectivity-resistotype-genotype clustering of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in the Central Blacksea Region of Turkey]." Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni 48, no. 1: 1.

Journal article
Published: 22 October 2013 in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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To elucidate the evolutionary history of Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex (CC) 8, which encompasses several globally distributed epidemic lineages, including hospital-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and the highly prevalent community-associated MRSA clone USA300. We reconstructed the phylogeny of S. aureus CC8 by mutation discovery at 112 genetic housekeeping loci from each of 174 isolates, sampled on five continents between 1957 and 2008. The distribution of antimicrobial resistance traits and of diverse mobile genetic elements was investigated in relation to the isolates' phylogeny. Our analyses revealed the existence of nine phylogenetic clades within CC8. We identified at least eight independent events of methicillin resistance acquisition in CC8 and dated the origin of a methicillin-resistant progenitor of the notorious USA300 clone to the mid-1970s. Of the S. aureus isolates in our collection, 88% carried plasmidic rep gene sequences, with up to five different rep genes in individual isolates and a total of eight rep families. Mapping the plasmid content onto the isolates' phylogeny illustrated the stable carriage over decades of some plasmids and the more volatile nature of others. Strikingly, we observed trends of increasing antibiotic resistance during the evolution of several lineages, including USA300. We propose a model for the evolution of S. aureus CC8, involving a split into at least nine phylogenetic lineages and a subsequent series of acquisitions and losses of mobile genetic elements that carry diverse virulence and antimicrobial resistance traits. The evolution of MRSA USA300 towards resistance to additional antibiotic classes is of major concern.

ACS Style

Birgit Strommenger; Mette Damkjær Bartels; Kevin Kurt; Franziska Layer; Susanne Mie Rohde; Kit Boye; Henrik Westh; Wolfgang Witte; Herminia De Lencastre; Ulrich Nübel. Evolution of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus towards increasing resistance. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2013, 69, 616 -622.

AMA Style

Birgit Strommenger, Mette Damkjær Bartels, Kevin Kurt, Franziska Layer, Susanne Mie Rohde, Kit Boye, Henrik Westh, Wolfgang Witte, Herminia De Lencastre, Ulrich Nübel. Evolution of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus towards increasing resistance. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2013; 69 (3):616-622.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Birgit Strommenger; Mette Damkjær Bartels; Kevin Kurt; Franziska Layer; Susanne Mie Rohde; Kit Boye; Henrik Westh; Wolfgang Witte; Herminia De Lencastre; Ulrich Nübel. 2013. "Evolution of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus towards increasing resistance." Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 69, no. 3: 616-622.

Mini review
Published: 31 December 2011 in International Journal of Medical Microbiology
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Tracing the spatial spread of pathogens is a key objective of molecular infectious disease epidemiology. Accordingly, a wide range of genotyping approaches have been used to monitor the dissemination of Staphylococcus aureus strains, from localized outbreaks to global spread. We provide a critical review of available methods, revealing that molecular markers currently in use for typing S. aureus acquire changes so slowly that they monitor evolutionary change over timescales that are largely irrelevant to epidemiology. Moreover, the more variable markers frequently do not reflect the pathogen's evolutionary history and, hence, provide potentially misleading information about spread. More recent work has demonstrated that staphylococcal evolution proceeds sufficiently fast that the dynamics of S. aureus spatial spread can be elucidated at great detail on the basis of genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

ACS Style

Ulrich Nübel; Birgit Strommenger; Franziska Layer; Wolfgang Witte. From types to trees: Reconstructing the spatial spread of Staphylococcus aureus based on DNA variation. International Journal of Medical Microbiology 2011, 301, 614 -618.

AMA Style

Ulrich Nübel, Birgit Strommenger, Franziska Layer, Wolfgang Witte. From types to trees: Reconstructing the spatial spread of Staphylococcus aureus based on DNA variation. International Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2011; 301 (8):614-618.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ulrich Nübel; Birgit Strommenger; Franziska Layer; Wolfgang Witte. 2011. "From types to trees: Reconstructing the spatial spread of Staphylococcus aureus based on DNA variation." International Journal of Medical Microbiology 301, no. 8: 614-618.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2011 in BMC Microbiology
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Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen causing a wide range of infections in the hospital and community setting. In order to have adequate information for treatment of S. aureus infections, it is crucial to understand the trends in the antibiotic-resistance patterns. In addition, the occurrence and changes in types of S. aureus, clonal identities, and their geographic spread is essential for the establishment of adequate infection control programmes. In this study, 68 S. aureus isolates obtained from clinical and non-clinical sources in Nigeria between January and April 2009 were characterized using phenotypic and molecular methods.

ACS Style

Adebayo O Shittu; Kenneth Okon; Solayide Adesida; Omotayo Oyedara; Wolfgang Witte; Birgit Strommenger; Franziska Layer; Ulrich Nübel. Antibiotic resistance and molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in Nigeria. BMC Microbiology 2011, 11, 92 -8.

AMA Style

Adebayo O Shittu, Kenneth Okon, Solayide Adesida, Omotayo Oyedara, Wolfgang Witte, Birgit Strommenger, Franziska Layer, Ulrich Nübel. Antibiotic resistance and molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in Nigeria. BMC Microbiology. 2011; 11 (1):92-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adebayo O Shittu; Kenneth Okon; Solayide Adesida; Omotayo Oyedara; Wolfgang Witte; Birgit Strommenger; Franziska Layer; Ulrich Nübel. 2011. "Antibiotic resistance and molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in Nigeria." BMC Microbiology 11, no. 1: 92-8.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2008 in Microbial Drug Resistance
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During 2006 and 2007 small clusters of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in horses were recorded in different clinical departments of a veterinary university. The infections were caused by different MRSA clones (ST1, ST254, and ST398). In the same time, nasal colonization of veterinarians, veterinary personnel, and students was observed indicating transmission to humans.

ACS Style

Christiane Cuny; Birgit Strommenger; Wolfgang Witte; Christian Stanek. Clusters of Infections in Horses with MRSA ST1, ST254, and ST398 in a Veterinary Hospital. Microbial Drug Resistance 2008, 14, 307 -310.

AMA Style

Christiane Cuny, Birgit Strommenger, Wolfgang Witte, Christian Stanek. Clusters of Infections in Horses with MRSA ST1, ST254, and ST398 in a Veterinary Hospital. Microbial Drug Resistance. 2008; 14 (4):307-310.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christiane Cuny; Birgit Strommenger; Wolfgang Witte; Christian Stanek. 2008. "Clusters of Infections in Horses with MRSA ST1, ST254, and ST398 in a Veterinary Hospital." Microbial Drug Resistance 14, no. 4: 307-310.

Validation study
Published: 01 February 2008 in Journal of Clinical Microbiology
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The continuous spread of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (caMRSA) and the introduction of these highly virulent isolates into hospitals represent increasing threats. The timely recognition of caMRSA strains is crucial for infection control purposes. Thus, we developed a PCR-based assay for the easy and rapid determination of those caMRSA clones that currently are the most prevalent in Germany and Central Europe. This assay was able to correctly identify the majority of the isolates as caMRSA of sequence type 80 (ST80), clonal complex 1 (USA400), and ST8 (USA300). In combination with spa typing-BURP (based upon repeat pattern) analysis and resistance typing, it provides a means for the extensive characterization of suspicious isolates. Thus, this assay represents a reliable tool for monitoring the emergence and spread of different caMRSA clones. The resulting information, in combination with careful interpretation of the epidemiological records, might help to prevent the further spread of those highly virulent caMRSA clones.

ACS Style

B. Strommenger; C. Braulke; B. Pasemann; C. Schmidt; W. Witte. Multiplex PCR for Rapid Detection of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Suspected to Represent Community-Acquired Strains. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2008, 46, 582 -587.

AMA Style

B. Strommenger, C. Braulke, B. Pasemann, C. Schmidt, W. Witte. Multiplex PCR for Rapid Detection of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Suspected to Represent Community-Acquired Strains. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2008; 46 (2):582-587.

Chicago/Turabian Style

B. Strommenger; C. Braulke; B. Pasemann; C. Schmidt; W. Witte. 2008. "Multiplex PCR for Rapid Detection of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Suspected to Represent Community-Acquired Strains." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 46, no. 2: 582-587.

Comparative study
Published: 01 February 2008 in Journal of Clinical Microbiology
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We determined the value of spa typing in combination with BURP (based upon repeat pattern) grouping analysis as a frontline tool in the epidemiological typing of Staphylococcus aureus , based on a random collection of 1,459 clinical isolates sent to the German Reference Centre for Staphylococci within a 6-month period. The application was found to be helpful for the classification of isolates into the particular clonal lineages currently prevalent in Germany. Due to its major advantages because of the ease of interpretation and the exchangeability of the results, the use of spa typing greatly simplifies communication between laboratories on both the national and the international levels. Thus, it is an excellent tool for national and international surveillance of S. aureus as well as for analysis of the short-term local epidemiology. However, to overcome the limitations of the BURP grouping method in terms of typing accuracy and discriminatory power, the results of the default BURP grouping method must be interpreted with caution. Additional markers, like staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec , lineage-specific genes, or alternative DNA polymorphisms, are indispensable. They should be selected by dependence on the clonal lineage indicated by spa typing and subsequent BURP analysis as well as on the basis of the particular question to be addressed.

ACS Style

B. Strommenger; C. Braulke; D. Heuck; C. Schmidt; B. Pasemann; U. Nübel; W. Witte. spa Typing of Staphylococcus aureus as a Frontline Tool in Epidemiological Typing. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2008, 46, 574 -581.

AMA Style

B. Strommenger, C. Braulke, D. Heuck, C. Schmidt, B. Pasemann, U. Nübel, W. Witte. spa Typing of Staphylococcus aureus as a Frontline Tool in Epidemiological Typing. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2008; 46 (2):574-581.

Chicago/Turabian Style

B. Strommenger; C. Braulke; D. Heuck; C. Schmidt; B. Pasemann; U. Nübel; W. Witte. 2008. "spa Typing of Staphylococcus aureus as a Frontline Tool in Epidemiological Typing." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 46, no. 2: 574-581.

Evaluation study
Published: 30 June 2007 in Molecular and Cellular Probes
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An oligonucleotide microarray was constructed for the rapid and sensitive molecular detection of antibiotic resistance determinants in Staphylococcus aureus. The array is equipped with oligonucleotide capture probes for the detection of 10 clinically and therapeutically relevant antibiotic resistance genes and -mutations (mecA, aacA-aphD, tetK, tetM, vat(A), vat(B), vat(C), erm(A), erm(C), grlA-mutation) as well as several control probes. A microarray concept was established including multiplexed PCR amplification, DNA labeling, hybridization and data processing. This concept was applied to clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates and results were concordant with those from standard genotypic and phenotypic resistance testing. Our microarray concept offers rapid and accurate identification of antibiotic resistance profiles. It is easily expandable and thus can be adapted to changing clinical and epidemiological requirements in clinical diagnosis as well as in epidemiological studies.

ACS Style

Birgit Strommenger; Christiane Schmidt; Guido Werner; Beate Roessle-Lorch; Till T. Bachmann; Wolfgang Witte. DNA microarray for the detection of therapeutically relevant antibiotic resistance determinants in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular and Cellular Probes 2007, 21, 161 -170.

AMA Style

Birgit Strommenger, Christiane Schmidt, Guido Werner, Beate Roessle-Lorch, Till T. Bachmann, Wolfgang Witte. DNA microarray for the detection of therapeutically relevant antibiotic resistance determinants in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular and Cellular Probes. 2007; 21 (3):161-170.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Birgit Strommenger; Christiane Schmidt; Guido Werner; Beate Roessle-Lorch; Till T. Bachmann; Wolfgang Witte. 2007. "DNA microarray for the detection of therapeutically relevant antibiotic resistance determinants in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus." Molecular and Cellular Probes 21, no. 3: 161-170.