Frequency of Adherence Genes cna, fnbA and fnbB in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Traditional Cheese

ABSTRACT         Background and Objectives: Several virulence factors are involved in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus. Surface proteins such as collagen binding proteins (Cna) and fibronectin-binding proteins (FnBP) are important factors in adhesion and invasion of S. aureus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of adherence genes cna, fnbA and fnbB S. aureus isolates from traditional cheese.         Methods: All 22 isolates tested were identified as S. aureus. The isolates were tested for the presence of adherence genes cna, fnbA and fnbB using specific primers in polymerase chain reaction assay.          Results: Six isolates (27.27%) were positive for the can gene. Of the 22 isolates studied, one isolate was positive for fnbA and one was positive for the fnbB. Co-presence of the genes examined was not observed in any of the isolates.         Conclusion: The results indicate the weak biofilm formation ability of the S. aureus isolates from traditional cheese.         Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, Biofilm, Genes, Cheese.