Alpha-toxin facilitates the generation of CXC chemokine gradients and stimulates neutrophil homing in Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.
BACKGROUND
Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin is a major virulence factor, but its mechanism of action in vivo is incompletely understood.


METHODS
We examined the role of alpha-toxin in S. aureus pneumonia using the mouse model of intranasal lung infection with S. aureus strain 8325-4 (hla(+) S. aureus) and an alpha-toxin-deficient mutant strain made on the 8325-4 background (hla(-) S. aureus).


RESULTS
Intranasal infection of mice with hla(-) S. aureus resulted in substantially less lung injury and inflammation, pulmonary edema, and tissue bacterial burden than did infection with hla(+) S. aureus. Furthermore, fewer mice infected with hla(-) S. aureus died of the infection, compared with those infected with hla(+) S. aureus. Levels of the CXC chemokines keratinocyte-derived chemokine and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 were significantly lower in the airways of mice infected with hla(-) S. aureus, and this difference was the result of reduced secretion of newly synthesized chemokines into the airway. Consistent with these data, significantly fewer neutrophils were present in the airways and lungs of mice infected with hla(-) S. aureus, compared with those infected with hla(+) S. aureus.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that alpha-toxin enhances virulence by facilitating the generation of CXC chemokine gradients and stimulating chemokine-induced neutrophil influx in S. aureus pneumonia.
Bartlett
Allison H
AH
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Foster
Timothy J
TJ
Hayashida
Atsuko
A
Park
Pyong Woo
PW
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000276:immunology*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D011023:Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D018925:Chemokines; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin; C074302:keratinocyte-derived chemokines