Draft genome sequence of the producer strain of aureocin 4181, an antimicrobial peptide with an antagonistic activity against multidrug-resistant staphylococci.

Abstract Objectives The present study reports the draft genome sequence of Staphylococcus aureus 4181, a strain involved in bovine mastitis that produces aureocin 4181, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide (AMP). The inhibition of multidrug-resistant (MDR) staphylococci involved in human infections by S. aureus 4181was also investigated. Methods The sequencing library was constructed using the Nextera XT DNA library preparation Kit (Illumina). The whole-genome shotgun sequencing was obtained by using the Illumina MiSeq System. The A5-miseq pipeline was employed for de novo genome assembly. The genome annotation was performed by the RAST server. The online automated tools BAGEL4 and antiSMASH v. 5.0 were used for mining gene clusters coding for AMP production. The virulence potential of the strain was investigated employing online tools. Its inhibitory activity toward MDR staphylococcal isolates associated to human infections was tested by the deferred-antagonism assay on BHI agar medium. Results The total scaffold size was determined to be 2 719 949 bp, with a G + C content of 32.7%. The genome analyses revealed 2 504 protein and 74 RNA encoding sequences, several genes coding for drug resistance and a single AMP gene cluster coding for aureocin 4181.S. aureus 4181 exhibited a pathogenic potential and inhibited all MDR staphylococcal isolates tested as target. Conclusions This study describes the main features of the draft genome ofS. aureus 4181, a strain that produces the third four-component bacteriocin described in the literature, aureocin 4181. This bacteriocin is a potential alternative drug to control MDR staphylococcal isolates involved in human infections.