title: Targeting Staphylococcus aureus Toxins: A Potential form of Anti-Virulence Therapy.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and the leading cause of a wide range of severe clinical infections. The range of diseases reflects the diversity of virulence factors produced by this pathogen. To establish an infection in the host, S. aureus expresses an inclusive set of virulence factors such as toxins, enzymes, adhesins, and other surface proteins that allow the pathogen to survive under extreme conditions and are essential for the bacteria's ability to spread through tissues. Expression and secretion of this array of toxins and enzymes are tightly controlled by a number of regulatory systems. S. aureus is also notorious for its ability to resist the arsenal of currently available antibiotics and dissemination of various multidrug-resistant S. aureus clones limits therapeutic options for a S. aureus infection. Recently, the development of anti-virulence therapeutics that neutralize S. aureus toxins or block the pathways that regulate toxin production has shown potential in thwarting the bacteria's acquisition of antibiotic resistance. In this review, we provide insights into the regulation of S. aureus toxin production and potential anti-virulence strategies that target S. aureus toxins.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. kong_cin@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Cin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. hui-min@ppukm.ukm.edu.my.
authors.forename: Hui-min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Neoh
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. sheila@ukm.edu.my.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nathan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000378:metabolism*; D014774:Virulence / Q000187:drug effects; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014118:Toxins, Biological; D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; anti-virulence therapy; regulatory system; toxins; virulence factors