GENETIC POLYMORPHISM OF ARCC, AROE, TPIA AND YQIL IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS ISOLATED FROM BAQUBAH PATIENTS

Ali Shakir Al-Ezee; Atheer Shehab Ahmed; Nihad Kamel Shaalan

doi:10.46903/gjms/23.4.2004

GENETIC POLYMORPHISM OF ARCC, AROE, TPIA AND YQIL IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS ISOLATED FROM BAQUBAH PATIENTS

Ali Shakir Al-Ezee, Atheer Shehab Ahmed, Nihad Kamel Shaalan

Abstract

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human pathogen with high adaptability, causing diverse infections. Genotyping is vital for understanding its epidemiology. MLST, analyzing housekeeping gene sequences, is a robust method for strain characterization. The present study aims to investigate the genetic polymorphism of the arcC, aroE, tpiA, and yqiL housekeeping genes in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from patients in Baqubah, Iraq, using MLST, in order to determine the genetic diversity, clonal distribution, and potential epidemiological relationships of these strains.

Materials & Methods: The Methods section describes a molecular observational study on Staphylococcus aureus isolates from burn wound infections at Baquba Teaching Hospital between December 2023 and February 2024. Thirty-two S. aureus isolates from Baqubah burn patients were analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted and four housekeeping genes (arcC, aroE, tpiA, yqiL) were amplified by PCR. Selected PCR products were sequenced. Sequence data were analyzed using bioinformatics tools for alignment, mutation detection, and phylogenetic tree construction.

Results: Analysis of arcC, aroE, tpiA, and yqiL genes confirmed all isolates as S. aureus with high sequence similarity to reference strains (99%). Mutations were identified across the genes, particularly in isolate S2, which consistently showed a distinct but still S. aureus phylogenetic position.

Conclusion: Phylogenetic analysis using arcC, aroE, tpiA, and yqiL genes confirmed all isolates were S. aureus. While intra-species variation was observed, no divergence beyond the species level was indicated. This molecular approach proved effective for accurate identification and genetic characterization of S. aureus isolates, aiding epidemiological understanding.

Keywords

arc; aroE; Genetic diversity; Genetic mutations; Genotyping; Housekeeping gene; Staphylococcus aureus; tpiA; yqiL.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46903/gjms/23.4.2004