Characterization and Comparative Analysis of the Staphylococcus aureus Genomic Island <i>v</i> Saβ: an <i>In Silico</i> Approach

Abstract

With the rapid increase of available sequencing data on clinically relevant bacterial species such as S. aureus , the genomic basis of clinical phenotypes can be investigated in much more detail, allowing a much deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in disease. We characterized in detail the S. aureus genomic island v Saβ and defined a superordinate system to categorize S. aureus strains based on their v Saβ type, providing information about the strains’ virulence-associated genes and clinical potential.