Cold-sensitive variants of Staphylococcus aureus and their stimulation by penicillins and cephalosporins.

Cold-sensitive (Cs) variants were obtained from ageing broth cultures of the Oxford strain of Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 6571) and other penicillin-sensitive strains of this species. Growth of all strains was severely retarded on certain media at 30 degrees C but was stimulated by the addition of penicillins and cephalosporins. Revertants were derived which behaved as the parent cells did with respect to growth temperature requirements and response to these antibiotics.     

Kinetic mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus sortase SrtA

Staphylococcus aureus sortase (SrtA) is a thiol transpeptidase. The enzyme catalyzes a cell wall sorting reaction in which a surface protein with a sorting signal containing a LPXTG motif is cleaved between the threonine and glycine residues. The resulting threonine carboxyl end of this protein is covalently attached to a pentaglycine cross-bridge of peptidoglycan. The transpeptidase activity of sortase has been demonstrated in in vitro reactions between a LPETG-containing peptide and triglycine. When a nucleophile is not available, sortase slowly hydrolyzes the LPETG peptide at the same site. In this study, we have analyzed the steady-state kinetics of these two types of reactions catalyzed by sortase. The kinetic results fully support a ping-pong mechanism in which a common acyl-enzyme intermediate is formed in transpeptidation and hydrolysis. However, each reaction has a distinct rate-limiting step: the formation of the acyl-enzyme in transpeptidation and the hydrolysis of the same acyl-enzyme in the hydrolysis reaction. We have also demonstrated in this study that the nucleophile binding site of S. aureus sortase SrtA is specific for diglycine. While S1' and S2' sites of the enzyme both prefer a glycine residue, the S1' site is exclusively selective for glycine. Lengthening of the polyglycine acceptor nucleophile beyond diglycine does not further enhance the binding and catalysis.     

Comparison of in vitro and in vivo systems to study ica-independent Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

The ability of Staphylococcus aureus to form biofilms is considered an important factor in the pathogenesis of central venous catheter-related bacteremia and infections associated with the use of medical prostheses. Different methods have been described for assessing staphylococcal biofilms, but few comparative studies have been attempted to evaluate these techniques; especially related to ica-independent biofilm formation/accumulation. In this study we compared some in vitro and in vivo techniques to evaluate ica-independent biofilms produced by methicillin-resistant S. aureus. We observed that biofilms formed on human fibronectin-covered surfaces were about three times higher than those produced on inert polystyrene surfaces. However, despite the difference in absolute values, a linear correlation was detected between these two models. We also found that biofilms formed on polystyrene or polyurethane surfaces treated with human serum were easily detachable during washing and staining processes. The mouse model of subcutaneous foreign body showed good correlation with the in vitro techniques using either inert polystyrene or solid-phase fibronectin. Thus, our data showed that the microtiter-plate-based spectrophotometric assay is an appropriate method for preliminary biofilm investigations, mainly when a large number of isolates, mutants or systems need to be tested.     

In vivo processing of Staphylococcus aureus lipase.

The Staphylococcus aureus lipase gene encodes a 76-kDa protein. Extracellular lipase purified from culture supernatants is only 45 to 46 kDa, however. We show that the lipase is secreted in vivo as an 82-kDa protein with full enzymatic activity. It is then sequentially processed, both in culture and in cell-free supernatants, to a mature, 45- to 46-kDa protein. Protein sequencing demonstrates that the N-terminal region of the 82-kDa prolipase, comprising 295 amino acids, is cleaved from the central and C-terminal moieties, which contain the active site. A metallocysteine protease is probably responsible for initiating this processing. The extremely hydrophobic, mature lipase is resistant to further protease degradation and retains the full catalytic activity of the prolipase.     

Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin. Dual mechanism of binding to target cells

Staphylococcal alpha-toxin was radiolabeled to high specific radioactivity (1,500-3,000 Ci/mmol) under retention of its hemolytic activity. Binding studies with susceptible rabbit erythrocytes and highly resistant human erythrocytes revealed that binding of alpha-toxin to target cells can occur via two different mechanisms. Binding of alpha-toxin to rabbit erythrocytes initially involves specific binding sites and occurs at low concentrations, with half-maximal binding at 1-2 nM. In contrast, toxin binding to human erythrocytes is absorptive and nonspecific, in this case, significant binding as well as hemolysis occur only at alpha-toxin concentrations exceeding 1 microM. Autoradiographic analyses of membrane-associated alpha-toxin from either cell species proved that hemolysis was inevitably associated with the formation of toxin hexamers. Our data indicate that the high susceptibility of certain target cells toward alpha-toxin is caused by the presence of specific binding sites. However, membrane damage of both susceptible and nonsusceptible target cells occurs via a common mechanism involving toxin oligomerization and pore formation.     

木犀草素对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌活性及其机制

【目的】研究木犀草素对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑制活性及其机制。【方法】利用2,3,5-氯化三苯基四氮唑(TTC)染色,细胞膜渗透性测定,SDS-PAGE蛋白谱变化,4′,6-二脒基-2-苯基吲哚(DAPI)荧光染色法等对木犀草素的抑菌活性及其机制进行研究。【结果】木犀草素能影响金黄色葡萄球菌细胞膜的通透性,木犀草素作用16h,菌体可溶性蛋白总量减少64.54%,DNA含量减少48.44%,RNA含量减少39.35%,木犀草素的浓度为1.6mg/mL时,拓扑异构酶I和II的活性可完全被抑制。【结论】木犀草素有明显的抑菌活性,其抑菌机制主要是通过抑制DNA拓扑异构酶的活性,进而影响菌体核酸及蛋白质的合成来实现的。     

大黄酸抗耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌的抗菌机制

[背景]耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus,MRSA)是医院及社区常见的机会性致病菌,具有多重耐药性、高发病率和高死亡率的特点.MRSA感染已成为全球医学界的普遍难题之一.[目的]研究大黄酸对MRSA的抗菌机制.[方法]以二倍稀释法测定大黄酸...     

冷冻致亚致死损伤的金黄色葡萄球菌修复机制

摘要:【目的】研究冷冻致亚致死损伤的金黄色葡萄球菌修复过程中的细胞修复机制。【方法】本文以冷冻致亚致死损伤的金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)为研究对象,探讨了不同修复时间细胞的修复情况;利用透射电子显微镜观察修复启动过程中超微结构的变化;通过实时荧光定量PCR(Real-time PCR)方法测定了修复过程中转录弱化子(msrR)、铁离子ABC转运ATP结合蛋白(fhuC)、细胞色素b(cytB)基因表达量的变化,通过紫外分光光度法测定细胞外泄漏物含量、细胞活性氧(ROS)和超氧化物歧化酶( SOD)活性。【结果】修复3 h后,99%以上冷冻致亚致死损伤的金黄色葡萄球菌完成修复,修复后细胞对高盐胁迫抗性恢复。Real-time PCR分析结果表明,msrR和fhuC基因表达量显著下调,而cytB表达量显著上调。修复过程中冷冻致亚致死损伤的金黄色葡萄球菌细胞表面超微结构变化比较明显,细胞表面从光滑透明变得致密结实,细胞内紫外吸收物质泄漏速度也在逐渐变慢,同时细胞中的ROS含量降低,SOD酶活性减弱。【结论】冷冻致亚致死损伤的金黄色葡萄球菌修复过程中,可能是通过细胞膜完整性的修复,细胞恢复对高盐胁迫的抵抗能力;通过基因调控降低细胞内ROS的含量,降低活性氧(O－2)对细胞的毒害作用。同时通过产能代谢相关基因(cytB)的调控为细胞提供修复所需要的能量,最终冷冻致亚致死损伤的细胞得到修复。     

Antibacterial mechanism of soybean isoflavone on Staphylococcus aureus

Effects of different flavonoids on various bacterial strains have been extensively reported; however, the mechanism(s) of their action on bacterial cells remain largely elusive. In this study, the antibacterial mechanism of soybean isoflavone (SI) on Staphylococcus aureus is systematically investigated using 4′6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, pBR322DNA decatenation experiment mediated by topoisomerase and agarose gel electrophoresis for direct decatenation. The results of fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence spectrophotometer indicated that DAPI was integrated in Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the quantity of both DNA and RNA reduced to 66.47 and 60.18%, respectively, after treated with SI for 28 h. Effects of SI on topoisomerase I and II were also investigated. SI completely inhibited the pBR322DNA unwinding mediated by topoisomerase I and topoisomerase II at the concentration of 6.4 mg/ml and could denature the plasmid DNA at the concentration of 12.8 mg/ml. These results indicate that topoisomerase I and II are the most important targets by SI to restrain bacterial cell division.