Diverse Populations of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Colonize the Skin of Healthy Dogs.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Fàbregas, Norma Pérez, Daniel Viñes, Joaquim Cuscó, Anna Migura-García, Lourdes Ferrer, Lluís Francino, Olga
Editor	Costa, Matheus
Copyright Year	2023
Abstract	ABSTRACTStaphylococcus pseudintermedius is a commensal bacterium of the canine skin but is also a key opportunistic pathogen that is responsible for most cases of pyoderma in dogs. The current paradigm indicates that infection arises when predisposing factors alter the healthy skin barrier. Despite their importance, the characteristics of the S. pseudintermedius populations colonizing the skin of healthy dogs are yet largely unknown. Here, we retrieved 67 complete circular genomes and 19 associated plasmids from S. pseudintermedius isolated from the skin of 9 healthy dogs via long-reads Nanopore sequencing. Within the S. pseudintermedius populations isolated from healthy skin, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) detected 10 different STs, distributed mainly by the host. 39% of the 18 representative genomes isolated herein were methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP), and they showed, on average, a higher number of antibiotic resistance genes and prophages than did the methicillin-sensitive (MSSP). In summary, our results revealed that the S. pseudintermedius populations inhabiting the skin of healthy dogs are relatively diverse and heterogeneous in terms of MLST and methicillin resistance. In this study, all of the 67 commensal S. pseudintermedius populations that were isolated from healthy dogs contained antibiotic resistance genes, indicating the extent and severity of the problem of antimicrobial resistance in staphylococci with zoonotic potential.IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a commensal canine bacterium that can become an opportunistic pathogen and is responsible for most cases of canine pyoderma. It can also cause occasional zoonotic infections. Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus are a global concern. Skin commensal Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is understudied. To provide insight into the commensal strains circulating in healthy dogs, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 67 S. pseudintermedius isolates from different skin sites in 9 healthy dogs. Through the bioinformatic analysis of these genomes, we identified a genomic diversity that is more complete than those afforded by traditional molecular typing strategies. We identified 7 new STs. All of the isolates harbored genes associated with antibiotic resistance, and 39% of the representative genomes were methicillin-resistant. Our data provide critical insights for future skin infection control and antibiotic surveillance within veterinary medicine.
Page Count	16
PubMed Central reference number	PMC10100665
Issue Number	2
PubMed reference number	36786649
Journal	Microbiology Spectrum [Microbiol Spectr]
e-ISSN	21650497
DOI	10.1128/spectrum.03393-22
Language	English
Publisher	American Society for Microbiology
Publisher Date	2023-02-14
Publisher Place	N.W., Washington, DC
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Copyright © 2023 Fàbregas et al.
Subject Keyword	Staphylococcus pseudintermedius pyoderma skin WGS long-reads MLST MRSP
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Cell Biology Physiology Infectious Diseases Immunology and Microbiology Genetics Microbiology (medical) Ecology