Characterization of sal(A), a Novel Gene Responsible for Lincosamide and Streptogramin A Resistance in Staphylococcus sciuri

Natural resistance to lincosamides and streptogramins A (LSA), which is a species characteristic of Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis, has never been documented in the Staphylococcus genus. We investigate here the molecular basis of the LSA phenotype exhibited by seven reference strains of Staphylococcus sciuri, including the type strains of the three described subspecies. By whole-genome sequencing of strain ATCC 29059, we identified a candidate gene that encodes an ATP-binding cassette protein similar to the Lsa and VmlR resistance determinants. Isolation and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) expression studies confirmed that Sal(A) can confer a moderate resistance to lincosamides (8 times the MIC of lincomycin) and a high-level resistance to streptogramins A (64 times the MIC of pristinamycin II). The chromosomal location of sal(A) between two housekeeping genes of the staphylococcal core genome supports the gene's ancient origins and thus innate resistance to these antimicrobials within S. sciuri subspecies.