A Small Membrane Stabilizing Protein Critical to the Pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains is making all types of S. aureus infections more challenging to treat. With a pressing need to develop alternative control strategies to use alongside or in place of conventional antibiotics, one approach is the targeting of established virulence factors. However, attempts at this have had little success to date, suggesting that we need to better understand how this pathogen causes disease if effective targets are to be identified. To address this, using a functional genomics approach, we have identified a small membrane-bound protein that we have called MspA. Inactivation of this protein results in the loss of the ability of S. aureus to secrete cytolytic toxins, protect

SUBMITTER: Duggan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7440758 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature