Modulation of mecA Gene Expression by Essential Oil from Salvia sclarea and Synergism with Oxacillin in Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis Carrying Different Types of Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette mec

Romana Chovanová; Mária Mikulášová; Štefánia Vaverková

doi:10.1155/2016/6475837

Modulation of mecA Gene Expression by Essential Oil from Salvia sclarea and Synergism with Oxacillin in Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis Carrying Different Types of Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette mec

Int J Microbiol. 2016:2016:6475837. doi: 10.1155/2016/6475837. Epub 2016 Jan 6.

Authors

Romana Chovanová¹, Mária Mikulášová¹, Štefánia Vaverková²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia.
² Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Odbojárov 10, 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia.

Abstract

The essential oil (EO) from Salvia sclarea was shown to increase the susceptibility of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) isolates to oxacillin. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of EO from S. sclarea on expression of mecA gene of MRSE carrying different types of staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCCmec) and to evaluate potential synergistic effect of EO with oxacillin. Using real-time PCR we found that EO alone inhibited the expression of the resistant genes mecA, mecR1, and mecI and blaZ, blaR1, and blaI. The use of the combination of EO with oxacillin resulted in significantly inhibited expression of mecA gene in all tested strains with different types of SCCmec. Using time-kill assay and checkerboard assay we confirmed synergistic effect of EO from S. sclarea and oxacillin in MRSE.