PANTON-VALENTINE LEUKOCIDIN GENES IN A PHAGE-LIKE PARTICLE ISOLATED FROM MITOMYCIN C-TREATED STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS V8 (ATCC-49775)

The staphylococcal Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes [lukS-PV-lu kF-PV] existed in a hexagonal phage-like particle (phi PVL) isolated f rom mitomycin C-induced Staphylococcus aureus V8 (ATCC 49775). The gen ome packed in phi PVL was a linear double-stranded 40-kh DNA with sing le-stranded cohesive ends (cos). The [lukS-PV-lukS-PV], attP, and int (integrase gene) of phi PVL were all located very close to one another within a 4.0 kb-segment on the genome in the order given, and the seg ment is located at the center from the left and the right cos sites. I n addition, the [lukS-PV-lukF-PV]-attP-int region contains 5 direct re peat sequences that show high similarity with the recombinase-binding sites of bacteriophages of S. aureus.