Increased infectivity of Staphylococcus aureus in an experimental model of snake venom-induced tissue damage.
Soft-tissue infection is commonly found in patients bitten by Latin American Bothrops snakes. Staphylococcus aureus, which is not present in the mouth of the snake, is frequently isolated from these infections. The effects of B. asper venom on infection with S. aureus were analyzed in a model of infection in envenomated mouse gastrocnemius muscle. Inoculation of 50 colony-forming units (cfu) of S. aureus was enough to cause infection in envenomated muscle, compared with >5x104 cfu without venom. This effect was also achieved by injection of venom myotoxin III (an A(2) phospholipase). A sarA mutant strain in which production of extracellular toxins and enzymes is up-regulated and binding of fibronectin, fibrinogen, and other host proteins is down-regulated was much less virulent than the corresponding parental strain, indicating that the ability of S. aureus to mask itself with host molecules might be more important than the effects of secreted toxins and enzymes in this kind of infection.
Saravia-Otten
Patricia
P
Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, S-171 77, Sweden.
Gutierrez
Jose Maria
JM
Arvidson
Staffan
S
Thelestam
Monica
M
Flock
Jan-Ingmar
JI
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017837:Bothrops; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000382:microbiology*; D009154:Mutation; D012910:Snake Venoms / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics
C095698:Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C088021:SarA protein, bacterial; D012910:Snake Venoms; D015534:Trans-Activators; C104933:BaP1 metalloproteinase; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1