IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i11p3761-d363100.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization with MALDI-TOF-MS Based Identification of Staphylococcus spp. Isolated from Mobile Phones with their Antibiotic Susceptibility, Biofilm Formation, and Adhesion Properties

Author

Listed:
  • Emira Noumi

    (Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Hail 2440, Saudi Arabia
    Laboratory of Bioressources: Integrative Biology and Recovery, High Institute of Biotechnology-University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia)

  • Abderrahmen Merghni

    (Laboratory of Antimicrobial Resistance (LR99ES09), Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1007,Tunisia)

  • Mousa Alreshidi

    (Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Hail 2440, Saudi Arabia)

  • Rosa Del Campo

    (Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria 14 (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Carretera de Colmenar, 28034 Madrid, Spain)

  • Mohd Adnan

    (Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Hail 2440, Saudi Arabia)

  • Ons Haddad

    (Laboratoire de Microbiologie, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba de Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia)

  • Vincenzo De Feo

    (Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano, 18, 84084 Salerno, Italy)

  • Mejdi Snoussi

    (Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Hail 2440, Saudi Arabia
    Laboratory of Genetics, Biodiversity and Valorisation of Bioressources, High Institute of Biotechnology-University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia)

Abstract

Cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are extensively used in social and professional life, so they are frequently exposed to bacteria. The main goal of the present work was to isolate and characterize Staphylococci strains from students’ cell phone mobiles. Subsequently, 24 Staphylococci strains were tested against a wide range of antibiotics, for the distribution of some virulence-related genes and their ability to form biofilm. Staphylococcus spp. were cultured from all studied devices on chromogenic medium and identified using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) technique (MALDI-TOF-MS). The results obtained showed that S. aureus was the dominant species (19 strains, 79.1%), followed by S. warneri (3 strains, 12.5%), and S. haemolyticus (2 strains, 8.3%). Isolated strains showed high percentages of hydrolytic enzymes production, resistance to many tested antibiotics, and 37.5% expressed the mecA gene. The tested strains were highly adhesive to polystyrene and glass and expressed implicated icaA (62.5%) and icaD (66.6%) genes. All Staphylococcus spp. strains tested were found to possess proteases and the α-hemolysin gene. Our results highlighted the importance of mobile phones as a great source of Staphylococcus spp., and these species were found to be resistant to many antibiotics with multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index ranging from (0.444) to (0.812). Most of the studied strains are able to form biofilm and expressed many virulence genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the phenotypic and genetic characters highlighted the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of the S. aureus population studied. Further analyses are needed to elucidate the human health risks associated with the identified Staphylococci strains.

Suggested Citation

  • Emira Noumi & Abderrahmen Merghni & Mousa Alreshidi & Rosa Del Campo & Mohd Adnan & Ons Haddad & Vincenzo De Feo & Mejdi Snoussi, 2020. "Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization with MALDI-TOF-MS Based Identification of Staphylococcus spp. Isolated from Mobile Phones with their Antibiotic Susceptibility, Biofilm Formation, and Adhesio," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-17, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:11:p:3761-:d:363100
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/3761/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/3761/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mousa M Alreshidi & R Hugh Dunstan & Johan Gottfries & Margaret M Macdonald & Marcus J Crompton & Ching-Seng Ang & Nicholas A Williamson & Tim K Roberts, 2016. "Changes in the Cytoplasmic Composition of Amino Acids and Proteins Observed in Staphylococcus aureus during Growth under Variable Growth Conditions Representative of the Human Wound Site," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Laura A Onyango & R Hugh Dunstan & Johan Gottfries & Christof von Eiff & Timothy K Roberts, 2012. "Effect of Low Temperature on Growth and Ultra-Structure of Staphylococcus spp," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mousa M Alreshidi & R Hugh Dunstan & Johan Gottfries & Margaret M Macdonald & Marcus J Crompton & Ching-Seng Ang & Nicholas A Williamson & Tim K Roberts, 2016. "Changes in the Cytoplasmic Composition of Amino Acids and Proteins Observed in Staphylococcus aureus during Growth under Variable Growth Conditions Representative of the Human Wound Site," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:11:p:3761-:d:363100. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.