Mechanical Strength and Inhibition of the Staphylococcus aureus Collagen-Binding Protein Cna.

ABSTRACT: The bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus expresses a variety of cell surface adhesion proteins that bind to host extracellular matrix proteins. Among these, the collagen (Cn)-binding protein Cna plays important roles in bacterium-host adherence and in immune evasion. While it is well established that the A region of Cna mediates ligand binding, whether the repetitive B region has a dedicated function is not known. Here, we report the direct measurement of the mechanical strength of Cna-Cn bonds on living bacteria, and we quantify the antiadhesion activity of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting this interaction. We demonstrate that the strength of Cna-Cn bonds in vivo is very strong (~1.2 nN), consistent with the high-affinity "collagen hug" mechanism. The B region is required for st

SUBMITTER: Herman-Bausier P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5080380 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature