User:BalboaalvarezM

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A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus BalboaalvarezM

Classification

Higher order taxa

Domain(Bacteria); Phylum(Firmicutes); Class(Bacilli); Order(Bacillales); Family(Staphylococcaceae); Genus(Staphylococcus)

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Species: Staphylococcus schleiferi

Subspecies: Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans; Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. schleiferi

Description and significance

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.

The first description of the species Staphylococcus schleiferi was first done in April 1988. Contrarily the subspecies Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans and Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. schleiferi were identified years later.

Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans is coagulase positive but instead Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. schleiferi is coagulase positive.

Staphyloccous schleiferi is very similar in appearance than other species of staphylocci. It is particularly difficult to differentiate it from S. aureus because both species present a very similar morphology. It is actually believed that this is the reason why pathogenic activity by Staphylococcus schleiferi has been underreported, maybe some infections that were believed to be caused by S. aureus can be blamed on S. schleiferi.

Genome structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?

The complete genome sequence has not been coded for this bacterium, only portions of specific genomes. Circular DNA. Studies of the gene sequence of some genes of Staphylococcus schleiferi have determined the expression of a Fibronectin-Binding Protein which increases the ability of the bacterium to add to other cells increasing its pathology.

Cell structure and metabolism

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Staphylococcus schleiferi is a cocciform, catalase-positive bacteria. It presents a cocci morphology and it forms part of the 36 species that conform the Staphylococcus genus.

Ecology

When Staphylococcus shleiferi was first discovered nothing was known about the ecological niches of this microorganism. Nowadays it is known that its typical ecological niche is the skin and multiple mucosal surfaces. It is also believe that is part of the preaxilary human flora. In dogs, where it is most commonly observed it has been related to otitis due to its location in the auditory meatus of dogs. Habitat; symbiosis; contributions to the environment(Hernandez, 2001).

Pathology

Staphylococcus schleiferi is an opportunistic pathogen. Not much is known about the pathology of the coagulase-positive S. schleiferi subspecies. The other subspecies that is coagulase-negative has always been though as an apathogenic microorganism until more detailed research had been done more recently. It is believed that specific factors present in this bacterium make it more pathogenic that it was thought, this factors include bacterial polysaccharide components because they facilitate the attachment of these to foreign surfaces. They have also become more pathogenic with time because they have developed antibiotic resistance. Some of the infections that these bacteria can be associated with include bacteremia, catheter related infections, central nervous system shunt infections, endocarditis, urinary tract infection, surgical site infection, endophthalmitis. Staphylococcus schleiferi uses dogs as their most common host, but it has discovered in the last few years that it can also be pathogenic to humans and other mammals. This Staphilococcus subspecies has been associated with recurrent pyoderma and otitis in dogs. Infection tends to come back even after antibiotic treatment. The virulence factors of these bacteria are the production of beta-hemolysin,lipase, and esterase.(Johannes, 2001)

How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

Current Research and or Application to Biotechnology

Enter summaries of the most recent research and/or application to biotechnology here--at least three required

There is research being done to scheme the differentiation between the S. schleiferi sups. coagulans from other coagulase-positive staphylococci.

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Igimi, S., Takahashi, E., & Mitsuoka, T. (1990). Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans subsp. nov., isolated from the external auditory meatus of dogs with external ear otitis. Int J Syst Bacteriol 40, 409-411.

Kluytmans Jan, Hans Berg, and Paul Steegh. "American Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Clinical Microbiology." Outbreak of Staphylococcus Schleiferi Wound Infections: Strain Characterization by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Analysis, PCR Ribotyping, Conventional Ribotyping, and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 1998. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://jcm.asm.org/content/36/8/2214.full.pdf html>.

Johannes Huebner, and Donald A. Goldmann. "COAGULASE-NEGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCI: Role as Pathogens." - Annual Review of Medicine, 50(1):223. Annual Reviews, 2001. Web. 09 May 2012.

Peacock, S.J., G. Lina, and J. Etienne. "Staphylococcus Schleiferi Subsp. Schleiferi Expresses a Fibronectin-Binding Protein." Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin (2000). Web.

Hernandez, J. L., J. Calvo, R. Sota, and J. Aguero. "Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of 28 Patients with Staphylococcus Schleiferi Infection." Uropean Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (2001): 153-58. Http://www.springerlink.com/content/5e7eauxjn00v7qfb/. Web.

Edited by student of Dr. Lynn M Bedard, DePauw University http://www.depauw.edu