title: Adhesion mechanisms of staphylococci.
abstract: Staphylococcal adherence to an either biotic or abiotic surface is the critical first event in the establishment of an infection with these serious pathogens. Especially Staphylococcus aureus harbours a variety of proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous adhesins that mediate attachment to a multitude of host factors, such as extracellular matrix and plasma proteins and human host cells, or intercellular adhesion, which is essential for biofilm accumulation. Proteinaceous adhesins may be classified in covalently surface-anchored proteins of the MSCRAMM (microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules) family or in proteins that are surface-associated by different means, such as ionic or hydrophobic interactions. Non-covalently surface-associated proteins include the autolysin/adhesins, proteins of the SERAM (secretable expanded repertoire adhesive molecules) family, or membrane-spanning proteins. Non-proteinaceous adhesins comprise the polysaccharide PIA (polysaccharide intercellular adhesin) and wall teichoic and lipoteichoic acids. The features and functions of surface and surface-associated protein adhesins as well as of non-proteinaceous adhesins are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, 48149, Münster, Germany. heilmac@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heilmann
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003030:Coagulase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C425726:Bap protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C515944:ClfA protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D003030:Coagulase; C509820:MSCRAMM proteins, Staphylococcus; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C048165:adhesin, Staphylococcus aureus; C434058:clfB protein, Staphylococcus aureus; C078635:fibronectin-binding proteins, bacterial