Phenotypic and genomic analysis of the hypervirulent ST22 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in China

Huilin Zhao; Xiaocui Wu; Bingjie Wang; Li Shen; Lulin Rao; Xinyi Wang; Jiao Zhang; Yanghua Xiao; Yanlei Xu; Jingyi Yu; Yinjuan Guo; Ying Zhou; Baoshan Wan; Chunyang Wu; Liang Chen; Fangyou Yu

doi:10.1128/msystems.01242-22

mSystems (Jun 2023)

Phenotypic and genomic analysis of the hypervirulent ST22 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in China

Huilin Zhao,
Xiaocui Wu,
Bingjie Wang,
Li Shen,
Lulin Rao,
Xinyi Wang,
Jiao Zhang,
Yanghua Xiao,
Yanlei Xu,
Jingyi Yu,
Yinjuan Guo,
Ying Zhou,
Baoshan Wan,
Chunyang Wu,
Liang Chen,
Fangyou Yu

Affiliations

Huilin Zhao: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Xiaocui Wu: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Bingjie Wang: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Li Shen: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Lulin Rao: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Xinyi Wang: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Jiao Zhang: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Yanghua Xiao: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Yanlei Xu: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Jingyi Yu: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Yinjuan Guo: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Ying Zhou: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Baoshan Wan: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China
Chunyang Wu: First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou, China
Liang Chen: Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation , Nutley, New Jersey, USA
Fangyou Yu: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University , Shanghai, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.01242-22
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 3

Abstract

Read online

ABSTRACT ST22 MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) strains are only sporadically reported in China. Through the phylogenetic reconstruction of 30 ST22 strains from China and 480 ST22 strains from global sources, we found that the global ST22 strains can be divided into three clades (I, II, and III). The China ST22 strains were found primarily in clade II (IIb and IIc) and also in clade III, indicating that the China ST22-MRSA clones have different origins. The China subclade IIb strains (SCCmec Vb-t309) may evolve from the native ST22 MSSA clone, while the China IIc strains may have spread from other countries. Subclade IIc (SCCmecIVa-t309) strains exhibited particularly strong lethality and invasiveness in Galleria mellonella infection and mouse skin abscess models in comparison to USA300 and other dominant China HA-MRSA (ST5 and ST239) or CA-MRSA (ST59) strains. This study described the emergence of a highly virulent ST22 MRSA subclade and improved our insight into the molecular epidemiology of ST22 strains in China. IMPORTANCE ST22 is a successful hospital-associated MRSA lineage which first appeared in the United Kingdom as EMRSA-15. At present, ST22 MRSA clones are spreading rapidly around the world and even replaced other dominant clones in some regions. We placed the Chinese ST22 in the worldwide phylogeny of ST22, demonstrating a distinctive molecular epidemiology and to our knowledge, this is the first time that a novel clade of ST22 has been found in China. Among the 15 ST22 MRSA strains belonging to the novel clade, 14 ST22 SCCmecIVa strains from different regions carried both pvl and tst and displayed significantly higher in vitro and in vivo virulence in comparison to other clade/subclade ST22 strains as well as other common China HA-MRSA or CA-MRSA strains. The further spread of this subclade of strains could pose a serious threat to the health system in China and other regions.

Published in mSystems

ISSN: 2379-5077 (Online)
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: https://journals.asm.org/journal/msystems

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords