title: Wall teichoic acids of Staphylococcus aureus limit recognition by the drosophila peptidoglycan recognition protein-SA to promote pathogenicity.
abstract: The cell wall of gram-positive bacteria is a complex network of surface proteins, capsular polysaccharides and wall teichoic acids (WTA) covalently linked to Peptidoglycan (PG). The absence of WTA has been associated with a reduced pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Here, we assessed whether this was due to increased detection of PG, an important target of innate immune receptors. Antibiotic-mediated or genetic inhibition of WTA production in S. aureus led to increased binding of the non-lytic PG Recognition Protein-SA (PGRP-SA), and this was associated with a reduction in host susceptibility to infection. Moreover, PGRP-SD, another innate sensor required to control wild type S. aureus infection, became redundant. Our data imply that by using WTA to limit access of innate immune receptors to PG, under-detected bacteria are able to establish an infection and ultimately overwhelm the host. We propose that different PGRPs work in concert to counter this strategy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
authors.forename: Magda L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Atilano
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glittenberg
authors.forename: Sergio R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Filipe
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ligoxygakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013682:Teichoic Acids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D013682:Teichoic Acids; C118897:peptidoglycan recognition protein