Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis in diverse host environments

• Published in: Pathogens and disease Vol. 75; no. 1; p. ftx005
• Main Authors: Balasubramanian, Divya, Harper, Lamia, Shopsin, Bo, Torres, Victor J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Bacterial infections; Bones; Cues; Energy Metabolism - drug effects; Gastrointestinal tract; Gram-positive bacteria; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Illnesses; Immune system; Minireview; Oxidation-Reduction - drug effects; Pathogenesis; Pathogens; Quorum Sensing - drug effects; Regulators; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signaling; Skin; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - metabolism; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - physiology; Virulence; pathogenesis; gene regulation; MRSA; Staphylococcus aureus
• ISSN: 2049-632X; 2049-632X
• DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftx005

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is an eminent human pathogen that can colonize the human host and cause severe life-threatening illnesses. This bacterium can reside in and infect a wide range of host tissues, ranging from superficial surfaces like the skin to deeper tissues such as in the gastrointestinal tract, heart and bones. Due to its multifaceted lifestyle, S. aureus uses complex regulatory networks to sense diverse signals that enable it to adapt to different environments and modulate virulence. In this minireview, we explore well-characterized environmental and host cues that S. aureus responds to and describe how this pathogen modulates virulence in response to these signals. Lastly, we highlight therapeutic approaches undertaken by several groups to inhibit both signaling and the cognate regulators that sense and transmit these signals downstream. Staphylococcus aureus uses a complex regulatory network to adapt to different environments to support its different lifestyles.