Studies of the repressor (BlaI) of β-lactamase synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus

Purified BlaI, the putative repressor of the β-lactamase operon in Staphylococcus aureus , binds specifically to two regions of dyad symmetry (operators) located in the blaZ–blaR1 intergenic region. BlaI binds with similar affinity to the two regions and to the related sequence upstream of the mec gene found in methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus , providing physical evidence for the cross-talk previously observed between these systems. A change from a lysine in the N-terminus of BlaI to an alanine or deletion of the C-terminal 23 amino acids severely reduces its DNA-binding ability, demonstrating the functional importance of both the N- and C-termini. An operator DNA–protein complex observed with crude cell lysates from repressed cells, indistinguishable from that observed with purified BlaI, was eliminated by induction of the β-lactamase operon. Furthermore, BlaI is proteolytically cleaved in response to the addition of inducer in a blaR1 -dependent manner, providing primary evidence for the molecular basis of induction. Thus, BlaI is shown to be the repressor of the β-lactamase system.     

Evidence for a methicillin-hydrolysing β-lactamase in Staphylococcus aureus strains with borderline susceptibility to this drug

A new beta-lactamase that hydrolyses methicillin was found in the membrane fraction of two clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus with borderline susceptibility to this drug. 'Methicillinase' activity was detected in renatured sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretograms of staphylococcal membrane proteins. The enzyme activity appeared to be inducible and was more easily detected using penicillin G (or methicillin) rather than nitrocefin as substrate. Similar activity was not detected in the membrane fraction of a methicillin-susceptible strain. These results suggest that, in the two borderline susceptible strains, rather than a hyperproduction of the penicillinase a specific methicillin-hydrolysing activity is responsible for the borderline susceptible phenotype.     

The use of monoclonal antibodies for studying the biological properties of Staphylococcus aureus endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus endo- β - N -acetylglucosaminidase (SaG) has been suggested to function as a virulence determinant which interferes with the host cellular immune response. To further characterize the biological properties of SaG, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were raised against purified SaG. Four IgG₁ subclass mAbs were obtained, none of which reacted with the reduced, sodium dodecyl sulphate pretreated or boiled enzyme. The ability of the mAbs to react with the enzymes present in supernatants obtained from 197 S. aureus strains indicated that they recognized epitopes which are highly conserved; bacteriolytic enzymes produced by staphylococci other than S. aureus did not show any cross-reactivity. After pretreatment of SaG with mAbs (mAb-SaG molar ratios varying from 1 to 20), it was shown that all selected mAbs caused, at a mAb: SaG molar ratio of 10, a 90% inhibition of SaG bacteriolytic activity and a statistically significant reduction of its ability to interfere with phagocytosis to human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. All selected mAbs reacted with several commercially available exo- β - N -acetylglucosaminidases; mAb C1/10–11 also reacted with chicken and turkey egg muramidases and, at a mAb:SaG molar ratio of 10, inhibited their bacteriolytic activity by 97%. This suggests that one or more epitopes present in the above exo-glucosaminidases and muramidases share some degree of homology with others present in SaG.     

253株金黄色葡萄球菌耐药现状分析

目的 了解医院金黄色葡萄球菌临床分布情况及其对常用抗菌药物的耐药率,为临床合理使用抗菌药物提供依据.方法 回顾分析医院2010年5月至2011年4月检出的金黄色葡萄球菌,采用VITEK-AMS全自动微生物分析仪进行菌种鉴定和药敏分析.结果 共检出金黄色葡萄球菌253株,菌株的主要来源为痰130株(51.4％)、血液39株(15.4％)、创面24株(9.5％);菌株主要科室分布前3位是神内科35株(13.8％)、ICU30( 11.8％)、脑外科26株(10.3％);其中耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌( MRSA)为165株(65.2％),MRSA对多种抗菌药物耐药率＞70.0％,MSSA为88株(34.8％),对除青霉素、红霉素外的大多数抗菌药物敏感,未发现耐万古霉素菌株.结论 MRSA检出率高,耐药现状严重,应加强对金黄色葡萄球菌耐药性的监测,并根据药敏试验结果合理使用抗菌药物.     

Serotype F double- and triple-converting phage insertionally inactivate the Staphylococcus aureus β-toxin determinant by a common molecular mechanism

Abstract The precise molecular mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus β -toxin inactivation by the serotype F triple-converting phage φ42, φA1 and φA3 was investigated. Sequence analysis of the φ42 ( attP ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( attB ) attachment sites and the left ( attL ) and right ( attR ) chromosomal/bacteriophage DNA junctions of individual lysogens, each harbouring a triple-converting phage, revealed the presence of a common 14-bp core sequence in all four sites. These findings indicate that the genomes of the triple-converting phage integrate into the 5'-end of the β-toxin gene ( hlb ) by a site- and orientation-specific mechanism identical to that previously described for the serotype F double-converting phage φ13.     

金黄色葡萄球菌荚膜多糖研究进展

金黄色葡萄球菌作为引起人和动物发病的一种主要的致病菌,已严重影响到人们的身体健康和畜牧业的发展。致病性金黄色葡萄球菌多数含有荚膜成分,并且这种荚膜成分与金黄色葡萄球菌的毒力和抗噬菌作用有关。主要从金黄色葡萄球菌荚膜多糖的5型和8型血清学分类、分子结构、影响因素、表达调控等方面简要介绍了目前国内外关于金黄色葡萄球菌荚膜多糖的研究进展。     

Caspase‐1 inflammasome activity in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia

The inflammasome is a multiprotein complex that mediates caspase‐1 activation with subsequent maturation of the proinflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and IL‐18. The NLRP3 inflammasome is known to be activated by Staphylococcus aureus, one of the leading causes of bacteremia worldwide. Inflammasome activation and regulation in response to bacterial infection have been found to be of importance for a balanced host immune response. However, inflammasome signaling in vivo in humans initiated by S. aureus is currently sparsely studied. This study therefore aimed to investigate NLRP3 inflammasome activity in 20 patients with S. aureus bacteremia (SAB), by repeated measurement during the first week of bacteremia, compared with controls. Caspase‐1 activity was measured in monocytes and neutrophils by flow cytometry detecting FLICA (fluorescent‐labeled inhibitor of caspase‐1), while IL‐1β and IL‐18 was measured by Luminex and ELISA, respectively. As a measure of inflammasome priming, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of NLRP3, CASP1 (procaspase‐1), and IL1B (pro‐IL‐1β) was analyzed by quantitative PCR. We found induced caspase‐1 activity in innate immune cells with subsequent release of IL‐18 in patients during the acute phase of bacteremia, indicating activation of the inflammasome. There was substantial interindividual variation in caspase‐1 activity between patients with SAB. We also found an altered inflammasome priming with low mRNA levels of NLRP3 accompanied by elevated mRNA levels of IL1B. This increased knowledge of the individual host immune response in SAB could provide support in the effort to optimize management and treatment of each individual patient.     

Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the gene for a novel protein with a possible regulatory function encoded in the β operon of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract Although considerable homology exists between the translation products of the rplL, rpoB and rpoC genes of the β operons of the Gram-negative organism Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus the region between the rplL and rpoB genes is quite different in the two bacterial species. In E. coli the 324 bp has three centres of dyad symmetry in the first half of the sequence and multiple nonsense codons in all three reading frames. By contrast, the corresponding region in S. aureus consists of 1000 bp capable of forming a similar arrangement of stem-loop structures but with an open reading frame, sited 177 bp downstream of the end of rplL and 217 bp upstream of the beginning of the rpoB gene, with consensus initiation and termination signals, which if translated would generate a 22,665 Da protein with 202 amino acids. In view of the inability to find any significant homology with other proteins in the data bank and because the evidence suggests, as in E. coli , that the rplL-rpoB intergenic sequence is involved in regulation it is proposed that the expression product of orf202 may be a further element of control in the S. aureus β operon.     

Comparative Proteomic Profiling of Methicillin‐Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a highly successful human pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections. This study provides insights into the virulence, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance determinants of methicillin‐susceptible and methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MSSA; MRSA) recovered from non‐healthcare environments. Three environmental MSSA and three environmental MRSA are selected for proteomic profiling using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation tandem mass spectrometry (iTRAQ MS/MS). Gene Ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway annotation are applied to interpret the functions of the proteins detected. 792 proteins are identified in MSSA and MRSA. Comparative analysis of MRSA and MSSA reveals that 8 of out 792 proteins are upregulated and 156 are downregulated. Proteins that have differences in abundance are predominantly involved in catalytic and binding activity. Among 164 differently abundant proteins, 29 are involved in pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, stress response, mismatch repair, and cell wall synthesis. Twenty‐two proteins associated with pathogenicity including SPA, SBI, CLFA, and DLT are upregulated in MRSA. Moreover, the upregulated pathogenic protein ENTC2 in MSSA is determined to be a super antigen, potentially capable of triggering toxic shock syndrome in the host. Enhanced pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance, and stress response are observed in MRSA compared to MSSA.     

PINK1/Parkin‐mediated mitophagy enhances the survival of Staphylococcus aureus in bovine macrophages

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that are involved in various metabolic processes, and damage to mitochondria can affect cell health and even lead to disease. Mitophagy is a mechanism by which cells selectively wrap and degrade damaged mitochondria to maintain cell homeostasis. However, studies have not focused on whether mitophagy is involved in the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)‐induced mastitis in dairy cows. Here, we found that S. aureus infection of bovine macrophages leads to oxidative damage and mitochondria damage. The expression of LC3, PINK1 and Parkin was significantly increased after intracellular infection. We observed changes in the morphology of mitochondria and the emergence of mitochondrial autolysosomes in bovine macrophages by transmission electron microscopy and found that enhanced mitophagy promoted bacterial proliferation in the cell. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that S. aureus infection of bovine macrophages induces mitophagy through the PINK1/Parkin pathway, and this mechanism is used by the bacteria to avoid macrophage‐induced death. These findings provide new ideas and references for the prevention and treatment of S. aureus infection.     

Iron depletion and virulence in Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is able to grow in the presence of extremely low iron concentrations (0.04 μM). In iron-limiting conditions, this species develops alternative metabolic strategies such as highly efficient iron-uptake mechanisms which are only partially shared with S. epidermidis . Here we summarize the mechanisms induced by iron starvation in S. aureus in order to elucidate the virulence characteristics of this bacterium.     

金黄色葡萄球菌的分离及其抗药性的研究

从土壤中分离出金黄色葡萄球菌后,以其为出发菌株,采用梯度培养皿法,利用青霉素、四环素、红霉素、氯霉素和链霉素5种抗生素,对自然界中和经过NaNO2诱变的菌株进行了耐药性菌株的分离及抗性水平的确定。在自然界中分离的金黄色葡萄球菌只对青霉素(80μg/mL)和四环素(60μg/mL)有抗性,而对红霉素、氯霉素和链霉素则没有抗性。经过NaNO2诱变后,金黄色葡萄球菌对四环素(40μg/mL)的抗性降低,但对青霉素(120μg/mL)和其他3种抗生素的抗性均有所增加。     

Inhibitory effects of antibiofilm compound 1 against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

A novel benzimidazole molecule that was identified in a small‐molecule screen and is known as antibiofilm compound 1 (ABC‐1) has been found to prevent bacterial biofilm formation by multiple bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, without affecting bacterial growth. Here, the biofilm inhibiting ability of 156 μM ABC‐1 was tested in various biofilm‐forming strains of S. aureus. It was demonstrated that ABC‐1 inhibits biofilm formation by these strains at micromolar concentrations regardless of the strains' dependence on Polysaccharide Intercellular Adhesin (PIA), cell wall‐associated protein dependent or cell wall‐ associated extracellular DNA (eDNA). Of note, ABC‐1 treatment primarily inhibited Protein A (SpA) expression in all strains tested. spa gene disruption showed decreased biofilm formation; however, the mutants still produced more biofilm than ABC‐1 treated strains, implying that ABC‐1 affects not only SpA but also other factors. Indeed, ABC‐1 also attenuated the accumulation of PIA and eDNA on cell surface. Our results suggest that ABC‐1 has pleotropic effects on several biofilm components and thus inhibits biofilm formation by S. aureus.     

2008-2010年舟山某院金黄色葡萄球菌的分布及耐药性变迁

目的 分析舟山医院三年来金黄色葡萄球菌分布及耐药性变迁,并对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)与甲氧西林敏感金黄色葡萄球菌(MSSA)的耐药性差异做对比.方法 用ATB Expression半自动微生物分析仪进行菌株鉴定及药敏试验,用K-B法测红霉素、克林霉素、头孢西丁、苯唑西林直径,比较耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)与甲氧西林敏感金黄色葡萄球菌(MSSA)的耐药性差异.结果 金黄色葡萄球菌对苯唑西林、庆大霉素、红霉素、四环素和克林霉素的耐药率有上升的趋势;MRSA对苯唑西林、庆大霉素、复方新诺明、克林霉素、红霉素、青霉素、喹奴普汀-达福普汀、利福平和四环素的耐药率都明显高于MSSA的耐药率,二者间差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01),D-试验阳性71株,占72.45％.结论 金黄色葡萄球菌的耐药性逐渐升高,特别是对MRSA应引起临床的重视,检测克林霉素诱导型耐药具有重要的临床应用价值.     

产SEB金黄色葡萄球菌α-溶血毒素基因缺失菌株的构建

构建产肠毒素B(Staphylococcal enterotoxin B ,SEB)的金黄色葡萄球菌α-溶血毒素（α-hemolysin, α-HL)缺失菌株。首先构建用于α-HL基因敲除的同源重组质粒pMHL-α,经金黄色葡萄球菌RN4220修饰后再通过原生质体转入金黄色葡萄球菌SM-01。含重组质粒pMHL-α的金黄色葡萄球菌SM-01在42℃诱导条件下培养多代,最终筛选出α-溶血毒素基因缺失菌株。经序列分析和血平板溶血实验结果证明最终获得产SEB金黄色葡萄球菌α-HL缺失菌株。为野生型金黄色葡萄球菌的体内遗传操作及构建产超抗原药物金黄色葡萄球菌基因工程菌株提供了一定的理论基础和方法。     

PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy enhances the survival of Staphylococcus aureus in bovine macrophages

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that are involved in various metabolic processes, and damage to mitochondria can affect cell health and even lead to disease. Mitophagy is a mechanism by which cells selectively wrap and degrade damaged mitochondria to maintain cell homeostasis. However, studies have not focused on whether mitophagy is involved in the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced mastitis in dairy cows. Here, we found that S. aureus infection of bovine macrophages leads to oxidative damage and mitochondria damage. The expression of LC3, PINK1 and Parkin was significantly increased after intracellular infection. We observed changes in the morphology of mitochondria and the emergence of mitochondrial autolysosomes in bovine macrophages by transmission electron microscopy and found that enhanced mitophagy promoted bacterial proliferation in the cell. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that S. aureus infection of bovine macrophages induces mitophagy through the PINK1/Parkin pathway, and this mechanism is used by the bacteria to avoid macrophage-induced death. These findings provide new ideas and references for the prevention and treatment of S. aureus infection.     

苦瓜总皂甙对金黄色葡萄球菌抑制作用的研究

研究苦瓜总皂甙的抑菌作用及抑菌条件。以苦瓜正丁醇浸提物为原料,研究其对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌作用。试验结果表明,苦瓜总皂甙对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑制作用明显,最低抑菌浓度为30 mg/mL;抑菌最适pH值范围5~8;苦瓜总皂甙的热稳定性好,在121℃处理10 min仍具有较好的抑菌活性。金黄色葡萄球菌生长曲线表明,对数生长期的金黄色葡萄球菌对苦瓜总皂甙较敏感,而对接近稳定期的菌体抑制作用较弱。     

Cloning and sequencing of the gene, fmtC, which affects oxacillin resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Two Tn551 insertional mutants with reduced methicillin resistance were isolated from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus KSA8. These two mutants showed increased susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics and bacitracin, but not to fosfomycin and vancomycin. Tn551 in these mutants was inserted into the same gene, termed fmtC. The fmtC gene has an open reading frame of 840 amino acid residues with an estimated molecular mass of 96.9 kDa. The N-terminal half of the deduced FmtC protein is very hydrophobic, implying that this protein is a membrane-associated protein.