title: Basis of virulence in a Panton-Valentine leukocidin-negative community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain.
abstract: Community-associated (CA) infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are on a global rise. However, analysis of virulence characteristics has been limited almost exclusively to the US endemic strain USA300. CA-MRSA strains that do not produce Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) have not been investigated on a molecular level. Therefore, we analyzed virulence determinants in a PVL-negative CA-MRSA strain, ST72, from Korea. Genome-wide analysis identified 3 loci that are unique to that strain, but did not affect virulence. In contrast, phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) and the global virulence regulator Agr strongly affected lysis of neutrophils and erythrocytes, while α-toxin and Agr had a major impact on in vivo virulence. Our findings substantiate the general key roles these factors play in CA-MRSA virulence. However, our analyses also showed noticeable differences to strain USA300, inasmuch as α-toxin emerged as a much more important factor than PSMs in experimental skin infection caused by ST72.
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Gordon Y C
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Amer E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Villaruz
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Vee Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Hwang-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Som S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yunsong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otto
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D037521:Virulence Factors; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin
keywords: Panton-Valentine leukocidin; alpha-toxin; community-associated infection; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; phenol-soluble modulins