Role of Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteriophages in pathogenesis and horizontal gene transfer
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Staphylococcus epidermidis is a commensal bacterium that can act as an opportunistic pathogen and cause diseases that are difficult to treat due to biofilm formation and widespread antibiotic resistance. These bacterial species also serve as a reservoir for horizontally transferable genes for other pathogenic species, mainly Staphylococcus aureus. Temperate phages play a crucial role in horizontal gene transfer in staphylococci, thus impacting their properties, such as virulence or resistance. Many of these genes are encoded by mobile genetic elements, including phage-inducible chromosomal islands (PICIs). Here, we focus on S. epidermidis phage-inducible chromosomal islands that are molecular parasites exploiting temperate phages as helpers using various strategies to manipulate the phage life cycle and promote their spread. To this date, only one case of successful mobilization of S. epidermidis PICI has been reported. |
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