title: Identification of molecular mechanisms used by Finegoldia magna to penetrate and colonize human skin.
abstract: Finegoldia magna is a Gram-positive anaerobic commensal of the human skin microbiota, but also known to act as an opportunistic pathogen. Two primary virulence factors of F. magna are the subtilisin-like extracellular serine protease SufA and the adhesive protein FAF. This study examines the molecular mechanisms F. magna uses when colonizing or establishing an infection in the skin. FAF was found to be essential in the initial adherence of F. magna to human skin biopsies. In the upper layers of the epidermis FAF mediates adhesion through binding to galectin-7 - a keratinocyte cell marker. Once the bacteria moved deeper into the skin to the basement membrane layer, SufA was found to degrade collagen IV which forms the backbone structure of the basement membrane. It also degraded collagen V, whereby F. magna could reach deeper dermal tissue sites. In the dermis, FAF interacts with collagen V and fibrillin, which presumably helps the bacteria to establish infection in this area. The findings of this study paint a clear picture of how F. magna interacts with human skin and explain how it is such a successful opportunistic pathogen in chronic wounds and ulcers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Infection Medicine, Lund University, SE-22184, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mörgelin
authors.forename: Dieter P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.forename: Anders I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Olin
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Björck
authors.forename: Inga-Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Frick
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D000071837:Fibrillins; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000071837:Fibrillins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D003094:Collagen; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases