title: The collagen-binding adhesin is a virulence factor in Staphylococcus aureus keratitis.
abstract: A collagen-binding strain of Staphylococcus aureus produced suppurative inflammation in a rabbit model of soft contact lens-associated bacterial keratitis more often than its collagen-binding-negative isogenic mutant. Reintroduction of the cna gene on a multicopy plasmid into the mutant helped it regain its corneal adherence and infectivity. The topical application of a collagen-binding peptide before bacterial challenge decreased S. aureus adherence to deepithelialized corneas. These data suggest that the collagen-binding adhesin is involved in the pathogenesis of S. aureus infection of the cornea.
authors.affiliation: Sid W. Richardson Ocular Microbiology Laboratory, Cullen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rhem
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lech
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McDevitt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Höök
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Wilhelmus
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D007634:Keratitis / Q000209:etiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011817:Rabbits; D013045:Species Specificity; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C048165:adhesin, Staphylococcus aureus; D003094:Collagen