Increased Cell Wall Teichoic Acid Production and D-alanylation Are Common Phenotypes among Daptomycin-Resistant Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Clinical Isolates

Multiple mechanisms have been correlated with daptomycin-resistance (DAP-R) in Staphylococcus aureus. However, one common phenotype observed in many DAP-R S. Aureus strains is a thickened cell wall (CW). The first evidence for an impact of CW-linked glycopolymers on this phenotype was recently demonstrated in a single, well-characterized DAP-R methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strain. In this isolate the thickened CW phenotype was linked...