The Staphylococcus aureus Surface Protein IsdA Mediates Resistance to Innate Defenses of Human Skin

Clarke, Simon R. and Mohamed, Ramlan and Bian, Li and Routh, Alexander F. and Kokai-Kun, John F. and Mond, James J. and Tarkowski, Andrej and Foster, Simon J. (2007) The Staphylococcus aureus Surface Protein IsdA Mediates Resistance to Innate Defenses of Human Skin. Cell Host & Microbe, 1 (3). pp. 199-212. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2007.04.005

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Abstract

Resistance to human skin innate defenses is crucial for survival and carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, a common cutaneous pathogen and nasal colonizer. Free fatty acids extracted from human skin sebum possess potent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. The mechanisms by which S. aureus overcomes this host defense during colonization remain unknown. Here, we show that S. aureus IsdA, a surface protein produced in response to the host, decreases bacterial cellular hydrophobicity rendering them resistant to bactericidal human skin fatty acids and peptides. IsdA is required for survival of S. aureus on live human skin. Reciprocally, skin fatty acids prevent the production of virulence determinants and the induction of antibiotic resistance in S. aureus and other Gram-positive pathogens. A purified human skin fatty acid was effective in treating systemic and topical infections of S. aureus suggesting that our natural defense mechanisms can be exploited to combat drug-resistant pathogens.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	BPI
Subjects:	99 - Other
Divisions:	99 - Other
Journal or Publication Title:	Cell Host & Microbe
Volume:	1
Page Range:	pp. 199-212
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2007.04.005
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	08 Jul 2010 08:45
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2013 09:57
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/1424

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