TY - JOUR
T1 - Staphylococcus aureus β-toxin production is common in strains with the β-toxin gene inactivated by bacteriophage
AU - Salgado-Pabón, Wilmara
AU - Herrera, Alfa
AU - Vu, Bao G.
AU - Stach, Christopher S.
AU - Merriman, Joseph A.
AU - Spaulding, Adam R.
AU - Schlievert, Patrick M.
PY - 2014/9/1
Y1 - 2014/9/1
N2 - Background. Staphylococcus aureus causes life-threatening infections, including infective endocarditis, sepsis, and pneumonia. β-toxin is a sphingomyelinase encoded for by virtually all S. aureus strains and exhibits human immune cell cytotoxicity. The toxin enhances S. aureus phenol-soluble modulin activity, and its activity is enhanced by superantigens. The bacteriophage φSa3 inserts into the β-toxin gene in human strains, inactivating it in the majority of S. aureus clonal groups. Hence, most strains are reported not to secrete β-toxin. Methods. This dynamic was investigated by examining β-toxin production by multiple clonal groups of S. aureus, both in vitro and in vivo during infections in rabbit models of infective endocarditis, sepsis, and pneumonia. Results. β-toxin phenotypic variants are common among strains containing φSa3. In vivo, φSa3 is differentially induced in heart vegetations, kidney abscesses, and ischemic liver compared to spleen and blood, and in vitro growth in liquid culture. Furthermore, in pneumonia, wild-type β-toxin production leads to development of large caseous lesions, and in infective endocarditis, increases the size of pathognomonic vegetations. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the dynamic interaction between S. aureus and the infected host, where φSa3 serves as a regulator of virulence gene expression, and increased fitness and virulence in new environments.
AB - Background. Staphylococcus aureus causes life-threatening infections, including infective endocarditis, sepsis, and pneumonia. β-toxin is a sphingomyelinase encoded for by virtually all S. aureus strains and exhibits human immune cell cytotoxicity. The toxin enhances S. aureus phenol-soluble modulin activity, and its activity is enhanced by superantigens. The bacteriophage φSa3 inserts into the β-toxin gene in human strains, inactivating it in the majority of S. aureus clonal groups. Hence, most strains are reported not to secrete β-toxin. Methods. This dynamic was investigated by examining β-toxin production by multiple clonal groups of S. aureus, both in vitro and in vivo during infections in rabbit models of infective endocarditis, sepsis, and pneumonia. Results. β-toxin phenotypic variants are common among strains containing φSa3. In vivo, φSa3 is differentially induced in heart vegetations, kidney abscesses, and ischemic liver compared to spleen and blood, and in vitro growth in liquid culture. Furthermore, in pneumonia, wild-type β-toxin production leads to development of large caseous lesions, and in infective endocarditis, increases the size of pathognomonic vegetations. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the dynamic interaction between S. aureus and the infected host, where φSa3 serves as a regulator of virulence gene expression, and increased fitness and virulence in new environments.
KW - Bacteriophage
KW - Infective endocarditis
KW - Pneumonia
KW - Sepsis
KW - Staphylococcus aureus
KW - β-toxin
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U2 - 10.1093/infdis/jiu146
DO - 10.1093/infdis/jiu146
M3 - Article
C2 - 24620023
AN - SCOPUS:84907423835
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 210
SP - 784
EP - 792
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 5
ER -