Staphylococcus aureus
Research ArticleThe Streptococcal Protease SpeB Antagonizes the Biofilms of the Human Pathogen Staphylococcus aureus USA300 through Cleavage of the Staphylococcal SdrC ProteinStreptococcus pyogenes (GAS) causes a range of diseases in humans, ranging from mild to severe, and produces many virulence factors in order to be a successful pathogen. One factor produced by many GAS strains is the protease SpeB, which has been studied for its ability to cleave and degrade human proteins, an important factor in GAS pathogenesis. An understudied...
Research ArticleIntracellular Accumulation of Staphylopine Can Sensitize Staphylococcus aureus to Host-Imposed Zinc Starvation by Chelation-Independent ToxicityStaphylococcus aureus and many other bacterial pathogens rely on metal-binding small molecules to obtain the essential metal zinc during infection. In this study, we reveal that export of these small molecules is critical for overcoming host-imposed metal starvation during infection and prevents toxicity due to accumulation of the metal-binding molecule within the...
Research Article | SpotlightA Membrane-Bound Transcription Factor is Proteolytically Regulated by the AAA+ Protease FtsH in Staphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus aureus is an important pathogenic bacterium causing various diseases in humans. In the bacterium, transcription is typically regulated by the transcription factors located in the cytoplasm. In this study, we report an atypical transcription factor identified in S. aureus. Unlike most...
Research ArticleGenetic and Biochemical Analysis of CodY-Mediated Cell Aggregation in Staphylococcus aureus Reveals an Interaction between Extracellular DNA and Polysaccharide in the Extracellular MatrixStaphylococcus aureus remains a global health concern and exemplifies the ability of an opportunistic pathogen to adapt and persist within multiple environments, including host tissue. Not only does biofilm contribute to persistence and immune evasion in the host environment, it also may aid in the transition to invasive disease. Thus, understanding how biofilms form...
Research ArticleExogenous Alginate Protects Staphylococcus aureus from Killing by Pseudomonas aeruginosaCF patients are chronically infected by polymicrobial communities. The two dominant bacterial pathogens that infect the lungs of CF patients are P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, with ∼30% of patients coinfected by both species. Such coinfected individuals have worse outcomes than monoinfected patients,...
CommentaryPseudomonas aeruginosa Alginate Benefits Staphylococcus aureus?In this issue of Journal of Bacteriology, Price et al. show that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa-produced exopolysaccharide alginate protects Staphylococcus aureus by dampening the expression of P. aeruginosa virulence...
Research ArticleSubstrate Interaction with the EssC Coupling Protein of the Type VIIb Secretion SystemThe emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a rising problem in antibiotic treatment (S. Boyle-Vavra and R. S. Daum, Lab Invest 87:3–9, 2007, https://doi.org/10.1038/labinvest.3700501). We have used the multidrug-resistant S. aureus USA300_FPR3757 as a model organism to study the T7SSb. Effector proteins...
Research ArticleThe 5′ NAD Cap of RNAIII Modulates Toxin Production in Staphylococcus aureus IsolatesNumerous organisms, including bacteria, are endowed with a 5′ NAD cap in specific RNAs. While the presence of the 5′ NAD cap modulates the stability of the modified RNA species, a significant biological function and phenotype have not been assigned so far. Here, we show the presence of a 5′ NAD cap in RNAIII from S. aureus, a dual-function regulatory RNA involved in...
Research ArticleCidR and CcpA Synergistically Regulate Staphylococcus aureus cidABC ExpressionThis work focuses on the characterization of cis- and trans-acting elements essential for the induction of the cidABC operon in S. aureus. The results of this study are the first to demonstrate the synergistic control of cidABC expression by transcriptional regulators CidR and CcpA during carbohydrate metabolism. We established that...
Research ArticleDynamic Relay of Protein-Bound Lipoic Acid in Staphylococcus aureusProtein lipoylation is a posttranslational modification that is evolutionarily conserved from bacteria to humans. Lipoic acid modifications are found on five proteins in S. aureus, four of which are components of major metabolic enzymes. In some bacteria, the amidotransferase LipL is critical for the attachment of lipoic acid to these proteins, and yet it is unclear...