Staphylococcus saprophyticus

General Information

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus that is particularly notable for its role in human urinary tract infections (UTIs). It is the second most common cause of UTIs in young, sexually active women, following Escherichia coli. This organism is unique due to its ability to adhere to uroepithelial cells, which is facilitated by specific surface proteins that allow it to colonize the urinary tract effectively. One of the interesting aspects of S. saprophyticus is its resistance to the antimicrobial agent novobiocin, which helps in distinguishing it from other coagulase-negative staphylococci in clinical settings. This resistance is a key diagnostic feature and is used in laboratory identification. From a research perspective, S. saprophyticus is valuable due to its relatively simple genome, which provides insights into the genetic basis of pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance. Studies on this organism have contributed to a better understanding of bacterial adhesion mechanisms and the development of targeted therapies for UTIs. Additionally, S. saprophyticus has been found in various environmental sources, including food products and animal habitats, indicating its versatility and adaptability. This broad ecological presence makes it an interesting subject for studies on bacterial ecology and the transmission of pathogens from the environment to humans. In summary, Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a significant pathogen in the context of urinary tract infections, with unique characteristics that make it a valuable model for studying bacterial adhesion, antibiotic resistance, and pathogen ecology.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus that is primarily known for its role as a significant uropathogen, particularly in young women. This organism is notable for its ability to cause urinary tract infections (UTIs), which distinguishes it from other members of the Staphylococcus genus that are more commonly associated with skin infections. Its pathogenicity is attributed to several virulence factors, including the production of adhesins that facilitate its attachment to the uroepithelial cells, thereby promoting infection. One of the unique aspects of S. saprophyticus is its resistance to certain antibiotics, particularly novobiocin, which is a key characteristic used in laboratory identification. This resistance can complicate treatment options and highlights the importance of accurate microbial identification in clinical settings. From a research perspective, S. saprophyticus serves as an interesting model for studying biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Understanding how this organism adheres to surfaces and evades the immune response can provide insights into broader microbial pathogenesis and the development of new therapeutic strategies. Additionally, its prevalence in UTIs among young sexually active women makes it a valuable subject for epidemiological studies aimed at understanding the dynamics of urinary tract infections. Overall, Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a valuable organism in microbiological research, not only for its clinical implications but also for its contributions to our understanding of bacterial behavior in human health and disease.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Bacillota

Class: Bacilli

Order: Bacillales

Family: Staphylococcaceae

Genus: Staphylococcus

Species: Staphylococcus saprophyticus

NCBI ID

29385

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCF/007/814/115/GCF_007814115.1_ASM781411v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCF_007814115.1_ASM781411v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The organism Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus that is primarily known for its role as a uropathogen, particularly in young sexually active women. It is the second most common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) after Escherichia coli. The clinical implications of S. saprophyticus include its ability to cause cystitis and pyelonephritis, which can lead to significant morbidity if not treated appropriately. One of the notable features of S. saprophyticus is its antimicrobial resistance, particularly to methicillin, which is a characteristic of many staphylococci. However, it is generally susceptible to other antibiotics, such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and nitrofurantoin, making it important to perform susceptibility testing for effective treatment. In terms of pathogenicity, S. saprophyticus possesses several virulence factors, including the ability to adhere to uroepithelial cells, which is crucial for its role in UTIs. Its immune evasion strategies include the production of biofilms, which can protect it from the host's immune response and contribute to chronic infections. While S. saprophyticus is primarily associated with UTIs, it can also be implicated in other infections, such as endocarditis and osteomyelitis, particularly in immunocompromised patients. In terms of medical applications, there is ongoing research into the potential use of S. saprophyticus in the development of probiotics, although this is not yet well-established. Overall, understanding the clinical implications of S. saprophyticus is essential for effective diagnosis and treatment of infections it may cause.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

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

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is primarily associated with the human urogenital tract, where it is commonly found as a part of the normal flora. This microorganism thrives in the urinary system, particularly in the bladder, and is known for its role in urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially in young sexually active women. Its ability to adhere to uroepithelial cells is crucial for its pathogenicity, allowing it to colonize and persist in the urinary tract. In terms of ecological interactions, S. saprophyticus can exhibit competitive behavior against other uropathogens, influencing the microbial community structure within the urogenital microbiome. This competition can affect the overall health of the host and the incidence of infections. Additionally, S. saprophyticus has shown some degree of antibiotic resistance, which is a significant concern in clinical settings. Its presence in the environment is less documented, but it may be found in soil and water as a result of human activity, particularly in areas where wastewater is present. Overall, Staphylococcus saprophyticus plays a notable role in the human microbiome, particularly in the context of urinary health, and its interactions within this biome are essential for understanding its pathogenic potential.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Staphylococcus saprophyticus is primarily known for its role in human health, particularly as a urinary tract pathogen. However, its potential industrial applications are less documented compared to other microorganisms. In the context of biotechnology, S. saprophyticus has been studied for its ability to produce certain enzymes that could be harnessed for various applications, although specific industrial uses remain limited. In waste management, there is some interest in the organism's capacity to degrade certain compounds, which could be beneficial in biodegradation processes. This could potentially aid in the treatment of wastewater or contaminated environments, although more research is needed to fully understand its capabilities in this area. While S. saprophyticus is not widely recognized for biofuel production or pharmaceutical development, its enzymatic activities may offer insights into new bioprocesses that could be explored in the future. Overall, while Staphylococcus saprophyticus has some intriguing properties, its industrial applications are not as well-established as those of other microorganisms.

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: 8

LLM predicted phenotypes: 5

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

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