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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Biology and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus Infection II
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Biology and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus Infection II

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 12562

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Valentina Virginia Ebani

E-Mail Website
Section Board Member
1. Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
2. Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health” (NUTRAFOOD), University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
3. Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: zoonosis; bacterial infectious diseases; vector-borne diseases; antibiotic resistance; One Health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Genus Staphylococcus includes several species, both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative. Among them, Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen isolated from clinical specimens, even though other staphylococcal species may be involved in a wide spectrum of infections in humans and animals.

These bacteria have emerged as important pathogens for both nosocomial and community-acquired infections in people, as well as being a severe threat in veterinary medicine, causing diseases in farm animals and pets, including birds and reptiles. Moreover, staphylococci are able to produce enterotoxins responsible for food-poisoning diseases. In the last years, the incidence of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus isolates has increased, becoming a severe problem for infection treatment.

The aim of this Special Issue is to give a platform for practitioners and researchers operating in human and veterinary medicine can exchange information and updates.

At this purpose, we cordially invite you to submit research articles, review articles and short  communications related to the various aspects of Staphylococcus infections: bacteria–host interactions, epidemiology, diagnostic procedures, therapy and prevention.

Dr. Valentina V.  Ebani
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Staphylococcus spp.
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Coagulase-negative staphylococci
  • Animal infection
  • Human infection
  • Foodborne diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Enterotoxins
  • Antibiotics
  • Antibiotic resistance
  • Natural product activity
  • Bacteria–host interactions
  • Epidemiology
  • Diagnostic methods
  • Prevention

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 298 KiB  
Article
Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance in Canine Staphylococcus spp. Isolates
by Fabrizio Bertelloni, Giulia Cagnoli and Valentina Virginia Ebani
Microorganisms 2021, 9(3), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9030515 - 02 Mar 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2490
Abstract
Dogs are reservoirs of different Staphylococcus species, but at the same time, they could develop several clinical forms caused by these bacteria. The aim of the present investigation was to characterize 50 clinical Staphylococcus isolates cultured from sick dogs. Bacterial species determination, hemolysins, [...] Read more.
Dogs are reservoirs of different Staphylococcus species, but at the same time, they could develop several clinical forms caused by these bacteria. The aim of the present investigation was to characterize 50 clinical Staphylococcus isolates cultured from sick dogs. Bacterial species determination, hemolysins, protease, lipase, gelatinase, slime, and biofilm production, presence of virulence genes (lukS/F-PV, eta, etb, tsst, icaA, and icaD), methicillin resistance, and antimicrobial resistance were investigated. Most isolates (52%) were Staphylococcus pseudointermedius, but 20% and 8% belonged to Staphylococcusxylosus and Staphylococcus chromogenes, respectively. Gelatinase, biofilm, and slime production were very common characters among the investigated strains with 80%, 86%, and 76% positive isolates, respectively. Virulence genes were detected in a very small number of the tested strains. A percentage of 14% of isolates were mecA-positive and phenotypically-resistant to methicillin. Multi-drug resistance was detected in 76% of tested staphylococci; in particular, high levels of resistance were detected for ampicillin, amoxicillin, clindamycin, and erythromycin. In conclusion, although staphylococci are considered to be opportunistic bacteria, the obtained data showed that dogs may be infected by Staphylococcus strains with important virulence characteristics and a high antimicrobial resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus Infection II)
12 pages, 2229 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Sinonasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and Anti-Staphylococcal Humoral Immune Response in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis
by Ulrica Thunberg, Svante Hugosson, Ralf Ehricht, Stefan Monecke, Elke Müller, Yang Cao, Marc Stegger and Bo Söderquist
Microorganisms 2021, 9(2), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020256 - 27 Jan 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1833
Abstract
We investigated Staphylococcus aureus diversity, genetic factors, and humoral immune responses against antigens via genome analysis of S. aureus isolates from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients in a long-term follow-up. Of the 42 patients who provided S. aureus isolates and serum for a previous [...] Read more.
We investigated Staphylococcus aureus diversity, genetic factors, and humoral immune responses against antigens via genome analysis of S. aureus isolates from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients in a long-term follow-up. Of the 42 patients who provided S. aureus isolates and serum for a previous study, 34 could be included for follow-up after a decade. Clinical examinations were performed and bacterial samples were collected from the maxillary sinus and nares. S. aureus isolates were characterized by whole-genome sequencing, and specific anti-staphylococcal IgG in serum was determined using protein arrays. S. aureus was detected in the nares and/or maxillary sinus at both initial inclusion and follow-up in 15 of the 34 respondents (44%). Three of these (20%) had S. aureus isolates from the same genetic lineage as at inclusion. A low number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified when comparing isolates from nares and maxillary sinus collected at the same time point. The overall change of antibody responses to staphylococcal antigens over time showed great variability, and no correlation was found between the presence of genes encoding antigens and the corresponding anti-staphylococcal IgG in serum; thus our findings did not support a role, in CRS, of the specific S. aureus antigens investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus Infection II)
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14 pages, 600 KiB  
Article
Proteomic 2D-DIGE Analysis of Milk Whey from Dairy Cows with Staphylococcus aureus Mastitis Reveals Overexpression of Host Defense Proteins
by Shaimaa Abdelmegid, David Kelton, Jeff Caswell and Gordon Kirby
Microorganisms 2020, 8(12), 1883; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8121883 - 28 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1991
Abstract
Bovine mastitis remains a primary focus of dairy cattle disease research due to its considerable negative economic impact on the dairy industry. Subclinical mastitis (SCM), commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, lacks overt clinical signs and the diagnosis is based on bacteriological culture [...] Read more.
Bovine mastitis remains a primary focus of dairy cattle disease research due to its considerable negative economic impact on the dairy industry. Subclinical mastitis (SCM), commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, lacks overt clinical signs and the diagnosis is based on bacteriological culture and somatic cell counts of milk, both of which have limitations. The main objective of this study was to identify, characterize and quantify the differential abundance of milk whey proteins from cows with S. aureus SCM compared to whey from healthy cows. Using two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) coupled with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, 28 high-abundant proteins were detected in whey from mastitic milk, 9 of which had host defense functions. These included acute phase proteins involved in innate immunity and antimicrobial functions (e.g., serotransferrin, complement C3, fibrinogen gamma-B chain and cathepsin B), and proteins associated with the immune response to pathogens (e.g., polymeric immunoglobulin receptor-like protein, MHC class I antigen and beta-2-microglobulin). These results provide a unique 2D map of the modulated milk proteome during S. aureus mastitis. The broader importance is that the identified proteins, particularly those with host-defense biological functions, represent potential candidate biomarkers of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus Infection II)
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19 pages, 3627 KiB  
Article
Molecular Characterization and Pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Benin-City, Nigeria
by Osahon Obasuyi, JoAnn McClure, Francis E. Oronsaye, John O. Akerele, John Conly and Kunyan Zhang
Microorganisms 2020, 8(6), 912; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8060912 - 16 Jun 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3086
Abstract
While numerous studies examine the epidemiology and molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus in most developed countries, the detailed molecular characterization and molecular epidemiology of S. aureus strains and clones in Africa is lacking. We determined the molecular epidemiology and virulence of 81 non-duplicate [...] Read more.
While numerous studies examine the epidemiology and molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus in most developed countries, the detailed molecular characterization and molecular epidemiology of S. aureus strains and clones in Africa is lacking. We determined the molecular epidemiology and virulence of 81 non-duplicate isolates of S. aureus from Benin-City, Nigeria, collected during January–July 2016, and compared with global strains. Forty-seven isolates (58.0%) were found to be methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), while 34 (42.0%) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). ST152-MSSA (24.7%) and ST7-MRSA-V (19.8%) were the dominant groups identified, which were not genetically related to global predominant strains, but rather exhibited regional dominance. An interesting finding of the study was the presence of highly related strains in the region, which differed primarily in their methicillin resistance gene carriage, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), with 99.4–99.7% relatedness between the genomes of the strains within the MRSA–MSSA pairs. This suggests that the strains within a pair are experiencing gain or loss of SCCmec within local conditions, with evolution continuing to diversify the strains to a small degree. This study represents the most comprehensive genetic and virulence study of S. aureus in Nigeria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus Infection II)
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14 pages, 945 KiB  
Article
Steroid Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial Agents against Staphylococcus aureus Planktonic Cells
by Adriana Vollaro, Anna Esposito, Eleni Antonaki, Vita Dora Iula, Daniele D’Alonzo, Annalisa Guaragna and Eliana De Gregorio
Microorganisms 2020, 8(4), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8040468 - 25 Mar 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2678
Abstract
In this work, the antibacterial activity of deflazacort and several of its synthetic precursors was tested against a panel of bacterial pathogens responsible for most drug-resistant infections including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli [...] Read more.
In this work, the antibacterial activity of deflazacort and several of its synthetic precursors was tested against a panel of bacterial pathogens responsible for most drug-resistant infections including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacter spp. The derivative of deflazacort, PYED-1 (pregnadiene-11-hydroxy-16α,17α-epoxy-3,20-dione-1) showed the best antibacterial activity in a dose-dependent way. We focused on the action of PYED-1 against S. aureus cells. PYED-1 exhibited an additive antimicrobial effect with gentamicin and oxacillin against the methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolate 00717. In addition to its antimicrobial effect, PYED-1 was found to repress the expression of several virulence factors of S. aureus, including toxins encoded by the hla (alpha-haemolysin), hlb (beta-haemolysin), lukE-D (leucotoxins E-D), and sea (staphylococcal enterotoxin A) genes, and cell surface factors (fnbB (fibronectin-binding protein B) and capC (capsule biosynthesis protein C)). The expression levels of autolysin isaA (immunodominant staphylococcal antigen) were also increased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus Infection II)
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