Staphylococcus aureus Genome sequencing and assembly. Staphylococcus aureus

The current study investigated whether Staphylococcus (S.) aureus ATCC 29213 and ATCC 6538 would change their growth characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles after prolonged treatment with sub-inhibitory concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). NaOCl is a fast-acting disinfectant with a broad-spectrum activity, inexpensive and widely used in healthcare and the food production industry. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for NaOCl was determined by broth macrodilution according to the guidelines for disinfectant efficacy testing provided by the German Veterinary Medical Society. Serial passages after 24 h and 72 h, respectively, in defined sub-inhibitory concentrations of NaOCl resulted in a number of phenotypic variants. Our findings suggest that continuous exposure of S. aureus to sublethal concentrations of NaOCl induced morphological changes in the bacterial cell wall resulting in reduced susceptibility to oxacillin.