THE GENOME OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS - A REVIEW

The genome of Staphylococcus aureus consists of a single circular chro mosome (2.7-2.8 mbp) plus an assortment of extrachromosomal accessory genetic elements: conjugative and nonconjugative plasmids, mobile elem ents (IS, Tn, Hi), prophages and other variable elements. Plasmids (1- 60 kbp) are classified into 4 classes and there are 15 known incompati bility groups. Mobile elements of the genome (0.8-18 kbp) appear in th e chromosome or in plasmids of classes II and III. Prophages (45-60 kb p) are integrated in the bacterial chromosome, and they are UV-or mito mycin-inducible. Temperate bacteriophages of S, aureus are members of the Siphoviridae and the serological groups A, B and F occur most freq uently. In the paper presented, the characteristics of chromosome, pla smids, transposons and other genetic elements of S. aureus genome are given and an alphabetical list of known genes of this species is inclu ded.