Staphylococcus aureus susceptibility to innate antimicrobial peptides, beta-defensins and CAP18, expressed by human keratinocytes.

ABSTRACT: The antimicrobial peptides human beta-defensin-1 (hBD1), hBD2, hBD3, and CAP18 expressed by keratinocytes have been implicated in mediation of the innate defense against bacterial infection. To gain insight into Staphylococcus aureus infection, the susceptibility of S. aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), to these antimicrobial peptides was examined. Based on quantitative PCR, expression of hBD2 mRNA by human keratinocytes was significantly induced by contact with S. aureus, and expression of hBD3 and CAP18 mRNA was slightly induced, while hBD1 mRNA was constitutively expressed irrespective of the presence of S. aureus. Ten clinical S. aureus isolates, including five MRSA isolates, induced various levels of expression of hBD2, hBD3, and CAP18 mRNA by human kertinocytes

SUBMITTER: Midorikawa K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC162002 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature