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SCCmec The basics
- The SCCmec element carried by preMRSA N315 was characterized first by cloning the chromosomal region surrounding mecA, which was not carried by MSSA strains and was called “mecDNA” or “additional DNA”. Determination of the entire nucleotide sequence and subsequent comparison with the corresponding region of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus strain revealed that the mecDNA has a specific structure for the genetic trait of methicillin resistance
- Ito T et al. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 43:1449–1458.
- Subsequent experiments showed that the island was precisely excised from the N315 chromosome and integrated into the specific site of the N315 chromosome by the function of two site specific recombinases. Thus, we named the island staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) as a new family of staphylococcal genomic islands and its recombinases as cassette chromosome recombinases A and B (ccrA and B)
- Katayama Y et al. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44:1549–1555.
