Cadmium resistance in Staphylococcus sciuri.

Abstract

Staphylococcus sciuri is a member of the coagulase-negative staphylococci and its distribution is widespread in nature. Although primarily a pathogen of animals, this organism may colonize humans and its isolation from various clinical samples has been reported. In terms of heavy metal resistance, specifically cadmium resistance, most studies in the genus Staphylococcus have been confined to S. aureus; no investigations with S. sciuri have been reported. Three different cadmium resistance systems, designated CadA, CadB, CadD, have been reported in S. aureus. In this study, S. sciuri isolates obtained from a wild population of Gray Treefrogs were examined for cadmium resistance and it was shown that resistance levels among the isolates differ significantly. Using gene-specific primers based on cadA. and cadBlD, amplicons were generated via the polymerase chain reaction which corresponded to the genes encoding CadA and CadBlD, respectively.