The Plasmidomic Landscape of Clinical Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Isolates from Malaysia
Esra’a I. Al-Trad,
Ching Hoong Chew,
Ainal Mardziah Che Hamzah,
Zarizal Suhaili,
Nor Iza A. Rahman,
Salwani Ismail,
Suat Moi Puah,
Kek Heng Chua,
Stephen M. Kwong,
Chew Chieng Yeo
Affiliations
Esra’a I. Al-Trad
Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu 20400, Malaysia
Ching Hoong Chew
Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Nerus 21300, Malaysia
Ainal Mardziah Che Hamzah
Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Nerus 21300, Malaysia
Zarizal Suhaili
Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Malaysia
Nor Iza A. Rahman
Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu 20400, Malaysia
Salwani Ismail
Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu 20400, Malaysia
Suat Moi Puah
Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Kek Heng Chua
Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Stephen M. Kwong
Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown 2560, Australia
Chew Chieng Yeo
Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu 20400, Malaysia
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a priority nosocomial pathogen with plasmids playing a crucial role in its genetic adaptability, particularly in the acquisition and spread of antimicrobial resistance. In this study, the genome sequences of 79 MSRA clinical isolates from Terengganu, Malaysia, (obtained between 2016 and 2020) along with an additional 15 Malaysian MRSA genomes from GenBank were analyzed for their plasmid content. The majority (90%, 85/94) of the Malaysian MRSA isolates harbored 1–4 plasmids each. In total, 189 plasmid sequences were identified ranging in size from 2.3 kb to ca. 58 kb, spanning all seven distinctive plasmid replication initiator (replicase) types. Resistance genes (either to antimicrobials, heavy metals, and/or biocides) were found in 74% (140/189) of these plasmids. Small plasmids (ermC gene that confers resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramin B (MLSB) identified in 63 MRSA isolates. A low carriage of conjugative plasmids was observed (n = 2), but the majority (64.5%, 122/189) of the non-conjugative plasmids have mobilizable potential. The results obtained enabled us to gain a rare view of the plasmidomic landscape of Malaysian MRSA isolates and reinforces their importance in the evolution of this pathogen.
