Resistance to Acute Macrophage Killing Promotes Airway Fitness of Prevalent Community-Acquired Staphylococcus aureus Strains.

ABSTRACT: The incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia in otherwise healthy individuals is increasing. To investigate the mechanism underlying the epidemiological success of predominant community-associated (CA)-MRSA strains, we examined their fitness traits during the initial interaction between bacteria and the host occurring in the lower airway. Using a mouse respiratory infection model, we show that clinical isolates often responsible for CA infections are highly resistant to clearance from healthy airways, whereas S. aureus strains not as prevalent or traditionally associated with hospital-associated infections are relatively susceptible. Mechanistically, the competitive fitness of S. aureus is a result of both agr-dependent and -independent resistance to innate

SUBMITTER: Yajjala VK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4868659 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature