DETECTION OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS (MRSA) USING POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION AMPLIFICATION

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied for the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This procedure amplified a segment of MRSA-PBP (penicillin-binding protein) gene of DNA extract from the clinical isolates of S. aureus. A 1339-base-pair fragment of MRSA-PBP gene in DNA from S. aureus (MIC of methicillin, greater-than-or-equal-to 16 mu-g/ml) was amplified and detected by a specific oligonucleotide probe. Moreover, a 4.3 kb HindIII fragment containing MRSA-PBP gene was detected by using the same oligonucleotide probe. On the other hand, no PCR-amplified product was detected in DNA from methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MIC of methicillin, < 16 mu-g/ml).