Wall teichoic acid protects Staphylococcus aureus against antimicrobial fatty acids from human skin.
Skin-colonizing gram-positive bacteria produce wall teichoic acids (WTAs) or related glycopolymers for unclear reasons. Using a WTA-deficient Staphylococcus aureus mutant, we demonstrated that WTA confers resistance to antimicrobial fatty acids from human sebaceous glands by preventing fatty acid binding. Thus, WTA is probably important for bacterial skin colonization.
Cellular and Molecular Microbiology Division, Medical Microbiology and Hygiene Institute, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Thomas
T
Kohler
Christopher
C
Weidenmaier
Andreas
A
Peschel
D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013682:Teichoic Acids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D005227:Fatty Acids; D013682:Teichoic Acids