Figure 1

Structure and comparative analysis of SCC mec element of S0385. The SCCmec element of S0385 contains a mec and ccr gene complex with a nearly identical structure compared to type V SCCmec, and two variable non-essential regions that include J1 and J3, the latter which contains a second solitary ccrC gene complex [19]. A pseudo-SCC element (ψSCC) is integrated upstream in tandem with the SCCmec element. Asterisks indicate the three direct repeat containing integration site sequences. The S0385 SCCmec element appears to be composed of gene clusters that have been previously described for other SCC elements. Shown is an alignment of the S0385 SCCmec element with the other SCC elements (i.e. S. aureus SCCHg, strain85/2082 and type V SCCmec, strain WIS; S. epidermidis SCCpbp4, strain ATCC12228; S. hominis SCC12263, strain GIFU12263 and S. aureus type II SCCmec, strain JCSC6826). Arrows represent ORFs and their direction of transcription. The homologous clusters of ORFs are indicated with similar colors. Red: solitary ccrC gene complex; blue: SCCmec type V mec and ccrC gene complex; green: cluster containing copA gene; aqua: metallo-hydrolase gene complex; orange: integrative conjugative element; yellow: IS431; black: orfX; grey: ORFs with no homology to the other SCC elements shown.