Mechanisms of linezolid resistance in Staphylococcus capitis with the novel mutation C2128T in the 23S rRNA gene in China

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular characteristics and potential resistance mechanisms of linezolid-resistant (LZR) Staphylococcus capitis isolates from a tertiary hospital in China. METHODS: S. capitis isolates were obtained from clinical patient specimens; three of the isolates came from blood cultures and one from the hydrothorax. The agar dilution and E-test methods were used to identify antibiotic resistance. The chloramphenicol-florfenicol resistance (cfr) gene carrier status of the strains was determined by PCR. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to identify point mutations and L3, L4, and L22 mutations and to study the genetic environment of the cfr gene and the relationships between strains. RESULTS: The 4 isolates obtained in this study were all linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus strains. A similar of susceptibility profile pattern was observed in all four S. capitis strains, each of which exhibited a multidrug-resistant phenotype. A potentially novel mutation, C2128T, was identified, and the cfr genes of S. capitis strains were all positive. Additionally, the same mutations (C2128T and G2600T) were identified in all 23S rRNA sequences of the isolates, whereas mutations were lacking in the L3, L4, and L22 ribosomal proteins. The genetic environments surrounding cfr were identical in all four isolates. A schematic diagram of the phylogenetic tree showed that they were closely related to AYP1020, CR01, and TW2795, and a total of seven drug resistance genes were identified in these strains. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that the resistance of the Staphylococcus capitis strains to linezolid was caused by multiple mechanisms, and a potential novel mutation, C2128T, that may have an impact on bacterial resistance was identified. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12866-022-02616-9.