Nutrient limitation governs Staphylococcus aureus metabolism and niche adaptation in the human nose.

ABSTRACT: Colonization of the human nose by Staphylococcus aureus in one-third of the population represents a major risk factor for invasive infections. The basis for adaptation of S. aureus to this specific habitat and reasons for the human predisposition to become colonized have remained largely unknown. Human nasal secretions were analyzed by metabolomics and found to contain potential nutrients in rather low amounts. No significant differences were found between S. aureus carriers and non-carriers, indicating that carriage is not associated with individual differences in nutrient supply. A synthetic nasal medium (SNM3) was composed based on the metabolomics data that permits consistent growth of S. aureus isolates. Key genes were expressed in SNM3 in a similar way as in the human nose, indicatin

SUBMITTER: Krismer B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3894218 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature