Identification of Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Real-time PCR Based on TaqMan-MGB Probe

OBJECTIVE To develop a real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan-MGB probe for detecting meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA). METHODS Primers and MGB probe were chosen in the conserved region of MRSA mecA gene.The efficacy of this assay was evaluated by quantitatively measuring sequential levels of plasmid containing the interest and by detecting clinical specimens and none-MRSA bacterial strains. RESULTS This assay had a detection limit of one genome copy per reaction.A linear standard curve was obtained between 10~0 and 10~9 DNA copies per reaction(r0.990).No positive results were seen in all non-MRSA bacterial strains tested,while all clinical samples positive for MRSA showed positive results for the mecA gene. CONCLUSIONS These observations suggest that this assay be an excelleot candidate for a standard MRSA detection method.