title: Role of sarA in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus musculoskeletal infection.
abstract: We recently demonstrated that mutation of sarA in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus results in a phenotype that is distinct by comparison to sarA mutants generated in the laboratory strain RN6390 (J. S. Blevins, K. E. Beenken, M. O. Elasri, B. K. Hurlburt, and M. S. Smeltzer, Infect. Immun. 70:470-480, 2002). This raises the possibility that studies demonstrating that RN6390 sarA mutants are attenuated do not accurately reflect the role of sarA in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal disease. To test this hypothesis, we used a murine model of musculoskeletal infection to assess the virulence of sarA and agr mutants generated in a clinical isolate of S. aureus (UAMS-1). By using this model, we confirmed that mutation of sarA and/or agr results in a reduced capacity to cause both septic arthritis and osteomyelitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA.
authors.forename: Jon S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Blevins
authors.forename: Mohamed O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Elasri
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Allmendinger
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Beenken
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: J Roby
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Smeltzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009154:Mutation; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: C095698:Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C088021:SarA protein, bacterial; D015534:Trans-Activators