Staphylococcus aureus delta toxin modulates both extracellular membrane vesicle biogenesis and amyloid formation

• Published in: mBio Vol. 14; no. 5; p. e0174823
• Main Authors: Wang, Xiaogang, Uppu, Divakara Ssm, Dickey, Seth W, Burgin, Dylan J, Otto, Michael, Lee, Jean C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 31.10.2023
• Subjects: Amyloid - metabolism; amyloid fibrils; Animals; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Bacteriology; delta-toxin; extracellular membrane vesicles; Mice; phenol-soluble modulins; Research Article; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - metabolism; phenol-soluble modulins; delta-toxin; amyloid fibrils; extracellular membrane vesicles; Staphylococcus aureus
• ISSN: 2150-7511; 2150-7511
• DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01748-23

Extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs) produced by in planktonic cultures encapsulate a diverse cargo of bacterial proteins, nucleic acids, and glycopolymers that are protected from destruction by external factors. δ-toxin, a member of the phenol soluble modulin family, was shown to be critical for MV biogenesis. Amyloid fibrils co-purified with MVs generated by virulent, community-acquired strains, and fibril formation was dependent on expression of the δ-toxin gene ( ). Mass spectrometry data confirmed that the amyloid fibrils were comprised of δ-toxin. Although MVs were produced in a localized murine infection model, amyloid fibrils were not observed in the setting. Our findings provide critical insights into staphylococcal factors involved in MV biogenesis and amyloid formation.