Donor activity of methicillin resistant staphylococci in transduction experiments

: Antibiotic resistance gene transmission from methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), isolated in a burn care unit, was studied in transduction experiments with type phages 29, 52, 52A and in experiments with prophage induction. The results of the experiments demonstrated high donor activity of MRSA. Recombinants with different antibiotic resistance phenotypes were revealed, but there were no methicillin resistant staphylococci among them. Stability of cloramphenicol resistance gene transmission in the experiments on specific transduction with the prophage induction could be indicative of the prophage localization near the chloramphenicol resistance genes. Variety of the antibiotic resistance combinations in the transductants from the clinical strains of MRSA could prove heterogeneity of the strains even under conditions of one hospital.