DEVELOPMENT OF ENZYME-LABELED OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBE FOR DETECTION OF MECA GENE IN METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS

A DNA hybridization method with an enzyme-labeled oligonucleotide prob e (mecA-ELONP) was developed to detect the methicillin-resistant gene (mecA) in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. For rapid ident ification, bacterial colonies were transferred from agar plates direct ly onto nylon membranes. Lysis of cells, denaturation of DNA, and hybr idization were performed on the membranes. These procedures required o nly 3 h for completion. The results obtained by this test closely corr esponded with those obtained by determining the MICs of oxacillin agai nst S. aurens. The results of the mecA-ELONP also correlated well with those of a commercially available PCR test. Thus, mecA-ELONP proved t o be a reliable and convenient method for the rapid identification of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, which could be useful in clinical mic robiology laboratories.