Carriage of Beta-Lactamase and Antibiotic Resistance in *Staphylococcus aureus*

*Eghe Izevbizua*

## **Abstract**

Studies have shown that *Staphylococcus aureus* is one of the leading causes of bacteria infections in human and it has developed different resistance patterns to different antibiotics, making it a bit difficult to eradicate completely. This study focuses on the resistance of *S. aureus* producing beta-lactamase.

**Keywords:** *Staphylococcus aureus*, beta-lactamase

## **1. Introduction**

*Staphylococcus aureus* is an organism that causes various forms of diseases ranging from simple diseases with little or no cause for alarm to severe life threatening diseases [1, 2]. Antibiotic resistant *S. aureus* have been involved in high death rates across the world [3]. For many years till now, antibiotics have been employed in the treatment of Staphylococcus infections but resistance to antibiotics commonly used against them has reduced the effectiveness of the antibiotics [4, 5]. Mec A gene which is located on the staphylococcal cassette chromosome enables the organism to develop resistance against antibiotics used against it [6–8]. An altered 75 kb penicillin binding protein 2A (PBP2a) is produced inside the mec A gene which also gives it its resistance properties to antibiotics especially the beta-lactam [9]. Beta lactam antibiotics are the most common antibiotics used in the treatment of *S. aureus* infections. They act on the synthesis of peptidoglycan during the cell wall formation and stops it by acting on transpeptidases and carboxypeptidases [10]. Beta-lactamase is also known as penicillinase. Beta-lactam antibiotics contain a beta lactam ring and they act by stopping cell wall synthesis of the bacteria. Exampes of beta-lactam antibiotics include penicillin, cephalosporin, carbapenems and carbacephems. As at 2003, beta-lactam antibiotics were the world most used antibacterial drugs. These antibiotics stop the cell wall synthesis by inhibiting penicillin binding protein involved in the cross linking of the peptidoglycan which then causes the bacteria cell to succumb to osmotic pressure [11].

## **2. Beta-lactamases in** *S. aureus*

Beta-lactamases are enzymes produced by *S. aureus* in order to breakdown the beta lactam ring of beta lactam antibiotics which causes resistance to beta lactam antibiotics [12]. Beta-lactamase is an enzyme produced outside the cell of *S.aureus* after it is exposed to beta-lactam antibiotics [13]. Beta lactamase is constitutive or inductive plasmid mediated. The ability of beta-lactamase to resist antibiotics used against it is largely dependent on its chemical reaction, location and physiochemical conditions (see **Figure 1**) [14].

Beta lactamase is currently classified into two groups which are the molecular classification and Class B metalloenzymes [16]. The molecular classification classifies beta lactamase into Class A, C and D. Class A, C and D enzymes form acyl enzyme by making use of serine for the breakdown of beta-lactam bonds. Class B metalloenzymes makes use of divalent zinc ions for the breakdown of substrate [16].

## **2.1 Test for Beta-lactamase**

After antibiotic susceptibility testing, the test for beta-lactamase is performed. There are different methods of testing for the presence of beta-lactamae which includes:


*Carriage of Beta-Lactamase and Antibiotic Resistance in* Staphylococcus aureus *DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103922*

and incubated for 30mins at 30 degree Celsius. Iodine solution is poured over the filter paper. Beta-lactamase is positive when the site of inoculation turns colorless within 10mins and negative when it retains the blue-black color of the iodine solution [20].


**Figure 1.**

*Resistance mechanism of S .aureus to beta-lactam antibiotics. Source: [15]. Keys: MSSA, Sethicillin susceptible*  S.aureus; *MRSA, methicillin Resistant* S. aureus.

## **3. Conclusion**

This study shows that *S. aureus* is increasing in its resistance to the beta-lactam antibiotics. *S. aureus* has developed resistance patterns to beta-lactam antibiotics such as the production of beta-lactamase and production of an altered penicillin binding protein 2A. Different tests have been used to detect the presence of beta-lacatmases in *S. aureus*. Examples of such tests include nitrocefin disks, clover leaf tests, polymerase chain reaction detection of blaZ gene, chromogenic cephalosporin tests, acidometric tests and filter paper iodometric tests. The iodometric filter paper method is simple, rapid and can be performed in any bacteriological laboratory and the materials can be stocked and kept under optimal conditions.

## **Acknowledgements**

I want to acknowledge My Lord Jesus for his wisdom and understanding in writing this paper.

## **Conflict of interest**

The author declare no conflict of interest.

## **Thanks**

I thank Intechopen for the opportunity given to me to contribute in this journal.

## **Author details**

Eghe Izevbizua Cross River University of Technology, Benin City, Edo, Nigeria

\*Address all correspondence to: eghevictory123@gmail.com

© 2022 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

*Carriage of Beta-Lactamase and Antibiotic Resistance in* Staphylococcus aureus *DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103922*

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## **Chapter 11**
