EVIDENCE OF A NOVEL STAPHYLOCOCCAL MEC-ENCODED ELEMENT (MECR) CONTROLLING EXPRESSION OF PENICILLIN-BINDING PROTEIN 2'

A region was identified on the methicillin resistance determinant (mec) isolated from Staphylococcus epidermis and cloned into Staphylococcus carnosus which was responsible for a novel downregulation of the expression of methicillin resistance. The presence of this region reduced the overall expression of methicillin resistance and the synthesis of the mec-encoded penicillin-binding protein 2' (PBP 2') in S. carnosus. This region was located by Bal31 deletion mutagenesis upstream of the structural gene fo PBP 2'. Deletions within this region resulted in higher levels of expression of methicillin resistance and increased levels of PBP 2' synthesis. We tentatively called this region mecR. Analysis of selected Mc(r) strains of Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis by Southern hybridization suggested that the natural occurrence of two types of mec resistance determinants differ by the presence or absence of mecR-specific sequences.