High Nuclease Activity of Long Persisting Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Within the Airways of Cystic Fibrosis Patients Protects Against NET-Mediated Killing.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the first and most prevalent pathogens cultured from the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, which can persist there for extended periods. Airway infections in CF patients are characterized by a strong inflammatory response of highly recruited neutrophils. One killing mechanism of neutrophils is the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which capture and eradicate bacteria by extracellular fibers of neutrophil chromatin decorated with antimicrobial granule proteins. S. aureus secretes nuclease, which can degrade NETs. We hypothesized, that S. aureus adapts to the airways of CF patients during persistent infection by escaping from NET-mediated killing via an increase of nuclease activity. Sputum samples of CF patients

SUBMITTER: Herzog S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6849659 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature