Staphylococcus aureus
Research ArticleA Pseudomonas aeruginosa Antimicrobial Affects the Biogeography but Not Fitness of Staphylococcus aureus during CocultureMany human infections result from the action of multispecies bacterial communities. Within these communities, bacteria have been proposed to directly interact via physical and chemical means, resulting in increased disease and antimicrobial tolerance.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyUnraveling the Impact of Secreted Proteases on Hypervirulence in Staphylococcus aureusA key feature of the pathogenic success of S. aureus is the myriad virulence factors encoded within its genome. These are subject to multifactorial control, ensuring their timely production only within an intended infectious niche.
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceFitness Cost Evolution of Natural Plasmids of Staphylococcus aureusPlasmids are major agents in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria. How plasmids and their hosts coevolve to reduce the fitness cost associated with plasmid carriage when bacteria grow in an antibiotic-free environment is not well understood.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHow Phagocytic Cells Kill Different Bacteria: a Quantitative Analysis Using Dictyostelium discoideumPhagocytic cells ingest and kill bacteria, a process essential for the defense of the human body against infections. Many potential killing mechanisms have been identified in phagocytic cells, including free radicals, toxic ions, enzymes, and permeabilizing peptides.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIntracellular Staphylococcus aureus Perturbs the Host Cell Ca2+ Homeostasis To Promote Cell DeathDespite being regarded as an extracellular bacterium, the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can invade and survive within human cells. The intracellular niche is considered a hideout from the host immune system and antibiotic treatment and allows bacterial proliferation.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyComprehensive Genomic Investigation of Adaptive Mutations Driving the Low-Level Oxacillin Resistance Phenotype in Staphylococcus aureusThe majority of Staphylococcus aureus strains causing human disease are methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and can be treated with antistaphylococcal penicillins (such as oxacillin). While acquisition of the mec gene represents the main resistance mechanism to oxacillin, S. aureus can acquire...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Expression of von Willebrand Factor-Binding Protein Determines Joint-Invading Capacity of Staphylococcus aureus, a Core Mechanism of Septic ArthritisSeptic arthritis remains one of the most dangerous joint diseases with a rapidly progressive disease character. Despite advances in the use of antibiotics, permanent reductions in joint function due to joint deformation and deleterious contractures occur in up to 50% of patients with septic arthritis. So far, it is still largely unknown how S. aureus initiates and...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPopulation Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus Reveals a Cryptic, Highly Prevalent Superantigen SElW That Contributes to the Pathogenesis of BacteremiaStaphylococcus aureus is an important human and animal pathogen associated with an array of diseases, including life-threatening necrotizing pneumonia and infective endocarditis. The success of S. aureus as a pathogen has been linked in part to its ability to manipulate the host immune response...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Small-Molecule Modulator of Metal Homeostasis in Gram-Positive PathogensStaphylococcus aureus is a leading agent of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in the world. S. aureus tightly controls metal homeostasis during infection, and disruption of metal uptake systems impairs staphylococcal virulence. We identified small molecules that interfere with metal handling...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of a Novel LysR-Type Transcriptional Regulator in Staphylococcus aureus That Is Crucial for Secondary Tissue Colonization during Metastatic Bloodstream InfectionStaphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that can disseminate via the bloodstream and establish metastatic infections in distant organs. To achieve a better understanding of the bacterial factors facilitating the development of these metastatic infections, we used in this study a Staphylococcus...