Current Status of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCC mec ).

Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCC mec ) typing was established in the 2000s and has been employed as a tool for the molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , as well as the evolution investigation of Staphylococcus species. Molecular cloning and the conventional sequencing of SCC mec have been adopted to verify the presence and structure of a novel SCC mec type, while convenient PCR-based SCC mec identification methods have been used in practical settings for many years. In addition, whole-genome sequencing has been widely used, and various SCC mec and similar structures have been recently identified in various species. The current status of the SCC mec types, SCC mec subtypes, rules for nomenclature, and multiple methods for identifying SCC mec types and subtypes were summarized in this review, according to the perspective of the International Working Group on the Classification of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome Elements.