Staphylococcus hyicus

General Information

Staphylococcus hyicus is a bacterium that is particularly notable for its role in veterinary medicine. This organism is the causative agent of exudative epidermitis, commonly known as greasy pig disease, which primarily affects piglets. One of the most interesting aspects of S. hyicus is its ability to produce exfoliative toxins, which are responsible for the characteristic skin lesions seen in infected animals. These toxins cause the separation of the epidermal layers, leading to the exudative and crusty skin condition. In addition to its veterinary importance, S. hyicus is also of interest due to its antibiotic resistance profiles. The bacterium has been found to carry multiple resistance genes, making infections difficult to treat and highlighting the need for ongoing research into alternative therapeutic strategies. From a microbiological perspective, S. hyicus is unique in its ability to thrive in a variety of environments, including the skin and mucous membranes of animals. This adaptability is partly due to its diverse metabolic capabilities, which allow it to utilize a wide range of substrates for growth. Moreover, S. hyicus has been studied for its potential role in zoonotic infections, although such cases are rare. The bacterium's ability to cross species barriers and its implications for public health are areas of active research. Overall, Staphylococcus hyicus is a bacterium of significant interest due to its pathogenicity in animals, its resistance to antibiotics, and its versatile metabolic properties. These characteristics make it a valuable subject for research in veterinary microbiology, infectious disease, and antimicrobial resistance.

Staphylococcus hyicus is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus that is primarily associated with skin infections in animals, particularly in pigs. This organism is notable for its role in exudative epidermitis, commonly known as greasy pig disease, which can lead to significant economic losses in the swine industry. The disease is characterized by the presence of greasy, oily skin lesions that can become infected, highlighting the organism's pathogenic potential. One of the unique aspects of S. hyicus is its ability to produce a variety of virulence factors, including exfoliative toxins that contribute to skin damage and inflammation. These toxins are of particular interest in research as they provide insights into the mechanisms of skin infections and the host's immune response. Additionally, S. hyicus has been studied for its antibiotic resistance patterns, which are increasingly relevant in veterinary medicine. Understanding the resistance mechanisms of this organism can help in developing effective treatment strategies and managing infections in livestock. From a research perspective, S. hyicus serves as a model organism for studying staphylococcal infections and their impact on animal health. Its close relationship with other staphylococci, including pathogenic species like Staphylococcus aureus, makes it a valuable subject for comparative studies in microbiology and infectious disease research. The insights gained from studying S. hyicus can also have implications for understanding similar infections in humans, thereby bridging veterinary and medical microbiology.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Bacillota

Class: Bacilli

Order: Bacillales

Family: Staphylococcaceae

Genus: Staphylococcus

Species: Staphylococcus hyicus

NCBI ID

1284

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCA/000/816/085/GCA_000816085.1_ASM81608v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCA_000816085.1_ASM81608v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The bacterium Staphylococcus hyicus is primarily known for its role in veterinary medicine, particularly in swine, where it is associated with exudative epidermitis, also known as greasy pig disease. This condition is characterized by skin infections that can lead to severe morbidity in affected animals. While S. hyicus is not commonly recognized as a significant pathogen in humans, it has been isolated from human clinical specimens, suggesting potential opportunistic pathogenicity, especially in immunocompromised individuals. In terms of pathogenicity, S. hyicus produces various virulence factors, including exfoliative toxins that can disrupt the integrity of the skin and contribute to disease progression. Its ability to form biofilms enhances its survival in hostile environments and contributes to chronic infections. Regarding antimicrobial resistance, there are reports of S. hyicus exhibiting resistance to multiple antibiotics, which poses challenges for treatment. This resistance is often linked to the misuse of antibiotics in veterinary practices, leading to concerns about the potential for zoonotic transmission of resistant strains to humans. While S. hyicus does not have established medical applications like probiotics or vaccines, its study is crucial for understanding zoonotic infections and the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance. The organism's interactions with the human immune system, particularly in the context of immune evasion strategies, remain an area of ongoing research, especially as it relates to its potential role in human infections.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

Staphylococcus hyicus is primarily associated with skin and mucosal surfaces of mammals, particularly in domestic animals such as pigs and cattle. This microorganism thrives in environments that are rich in organic matter and moisture, making it prevalent in livestock farming and animal husbandry settings. Its ecological niche often overlaps with areas where skin lesions or wounds are present, as it can be an opportunistic pathogen in these conditions. In terms of its role in the ecosystem, Staphylococcus hyicus is known to be part of the normal flora of the skin, contributing to the microbial balance and health of the host. However, it can also act as a pathogen, leading to conditions such as exudative epidermitis in pigs, which highlights its dual role in the biome. This interaction underscores the importance of maintaining healthy skin microbiomes to prevent opportunistic infections. Furthermore, Staphylococcus hyicus exhibits notable symbiotic relationships with other microorganisms in the skin microbiota, which can influence its pathogenicity and resistance to environmental stresses. Its ability to adapt to various environmental conditions, such as varying pH levels and moisture content, allows it to persist in diverse habitats, from farm environments to natural ecosystems where livestock may roam. Overall, the presence of Staphylococcus hyicus in these biomes illustrates the complex interplay between microbial communities and their hosts, emphasizing the need for careful management of animal health to mitigate the risks associated with this organism.

Industrial Application

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The microorganism Staphylococcus hyicus has shown potential in various industrial applications, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and waste management. One notable area is its role in biodegradation, where S. hyicus can contribute to the breakdown of organic materials, making it useful in waste treatment processes. This capability can help in the management of agricultural waste, particularly in the livestock industry, where it can assist in the decomposition of manure and other organic byproducts. In the realm of biotechnology, S. hyicus has been studied for its ability to produce certain enzymes that can be harnessed for industrial purposes. These enzymes can be utilized in various applications, including the food industry for fermentation processes, where they may enhance the flavor and preservation of food products. Moreover, there is ongoing research into the potential of S. hyicus in pharmaceutical development, particularly in the production of antimicrobial compounds. These compounds could be beneficial in developing new treatments for infections, especially in veterinary medicine, where S. hyicus is known to be associated with skin infections in pigs. Overall, while Staphylococcus hyicus is primarily recognized for its pathogenic potential, its industrial applications in waste management, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical development highlight its versatility and importance in various sectors.

Phenotypes and Predictions

The table shows the phenotypes and predictions. Cell colors indicate the class of the value. When literature-based data is available, a checkmark (✓) indicates a correct prediction, while an ✗ indicates an incorrect prediction.

Literature-based phenotypes: 10

LLM predicted phenotypes: 3

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	google/gemini-pro	google/gemini-pro	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	google/gemini-pro-1.5	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	openchat/openchat-7b	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	google/gemma-7b-it	google/gemma-7b-it	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct
Motility	FALSE	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Gram staining	gram stain positive	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓
Aerophilicity	aerobic	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Biofilm formation	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Animal pathogenicity	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗
Biosafety level	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Host association	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗
Plant pathogenicity	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Spore formation	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Hemolysis	gamma	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	N/A	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	beta ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cell shape	N/A	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus	bacillus	bacillus	coccus	coccus	coccus	coccus

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