Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Discrete Survival Responses of <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>S. epidermidis</i> to Sapienic Acid.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcal colonization of human skin is ubiquitous, with particular species more frequent at different body sites. Whereas Staphylococcus epidermidis can be isolated from the skin of every individual tested, Staphylococcus aureus is isolated from <5% of healthy individuals. The factors that drive staphylococcal speciation and niche selection on skin are incompletely defined. Here we show that S. aureus is inhibited to a greater extent than S. epidermidis by the sebaceous lipid sapienic acid, supporting a role for this skin antimicrobial in selection of skin staphylococci. We used RNA-Seq and comparative transcriptomics to identify the sapienic acid survival responses of S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Consistent with the membrane depolarization

SUBMITTER: Moran JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5263133 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature