Staphylococcus epidermidis
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| Staphylococcus epidermidis/epidermis | ||||||||||||||
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 Scanning electron image of S. epidermidis.
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| Staphylococcus epidermidis (Winslow & Winslow 1908) Evans 1916 |
Staphylococcus epidermidis is a member of the bacterial genus Staphylococcus, consisting of Gram-positive cocci arranged in clusters. It is catalase-positive[1] and coagulase-negative and occurs frequently on the skin of humans and animals and in mucous membranes. It is a facultative anaerobe that grows by aerobic respiration or by fermentation[2]. It is sensitive to the antibiotic Novobiocin; a feature that distinguishes it from the other common coagulase negative organism S. saprophyticus. Due to contamination, S. epidermidis is probably the most common species found in laboratory tests.[3]
Although S. epidermidis is usually non-pathogenic, it is an important cause of infection in patients whose immune system is compromised, or who have indwelling catheters. Many strains produce a biofilm that allows them to adhere to the surfaces of medical prostheses.
S. epidermidis is Gram Positive, meaning it stains purple in Gram stain.
S. epidermidis is often resistant to a wide variety of antibiotics, including penicillin and methicillin.
Colonies of S. epidermidis are typically small, white or yellow color, approximately 1-2 mm in diameter after overnight incubation. The organism is sensitive to desferrioxamine, and this test is used to distinguish it from almost all other staphylococci. Staphylococcus hominis, which is also sensitive, produces acid from trehalose, so it can usually be distinguished from S. epidermidis.
The normal practice of detecting S.epidermidis is by using the Baird Parker agar with egg yolk supplement. Colonies appeared in small, black colonies while confirmation can be done using coagulase test. Increasingly, techniques such as Real-time PCR and Quantitative PCR and are being employed for the rapid detection and identification of Staphylococcus strains. [4][5]
[edit] Genomics and molecular biology
The elucidation of the genomes of S. epidermidis and other coagulase-positive staphylococci, and a study of the molecular biology of S. epidermidis and its interaction with human host defenses, have provided detailed information on how these bacteria cause human disease. It has been shown that the repertoire and also the regulation of virulence factors in S. epidermidis may differ significantly from S. aureus. Information obtained from S. epidermidis may have paradigmatic character for many staphylococci and Gram-positive pathogens.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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The references in this article would be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. |
- ^ Todar, Kenneth. 2007. Todar's Online Textbook of Microbiology.[1]
- ^ Staphylococcus_epidermidis
- ^ a b Queck SY and Otto M (2008). "Staphylococcus epidermidis and other Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci", Staphylococcus: Molecular Genetics. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-29-5.
- ^ Francois P and Schrenzel J (2008). "Rapid Diagnosis and Typing of Staphylococcus aureus", Staphylococcus: Molecular Genetics. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-29-5.
- ^ Mackay IM (editor). (2007). Real-Time PCR in Microbiology: From Diagnosis to Characterization. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-18-9 .
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