Expansion of a Plasmid Classification System for Gram-Positive Bacteria and Determination of the Diversity of Plasmids in Staphylococcus aureus Strains of Human, Animal, and Food Origins

An expansion of a previously described plasmid classification was performed and used to reveal the plasmid content of a collection of 92 Staphylococcus aureus strains of different origins. rep genes of other genera were detected in Staphylococcus. S1 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) hybridizations were performed with 18 representative S. aureus strains, and a high number of plasmids of different sizes and organizations were detected.