Competitive fitness of Staphylococcus aureus against nasal commensals depends on biotin biosynthesis and acquisition.

ABSTRACT: The human nasal microbiome can serve as a reservoir for pathogens. In particular, the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can be a member of the nasal microbiome increasing the risk of subsequent infections. The nasal carriage of S. aureus is known to be positively and negatively impacted by nonpathogenic species, suggesting interactions between the pathogen and commensals, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unclear. Herein we demonstrate that S. aureus competes with nasal commensals for the coenzyme biotin. Biotin is crucial for all living organisms and we show that depletion of biotin impairs S. aureus growth and membrane integrity. We found the nasal cavity to be a biotin-limited environment, suggesting competition for the coenzyme within the microbiome. For

SUBMITTER: Bilici K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12642757 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature