A Small Membrane Stabilizing Protein Critical to the Pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus
Seána Duggan, Maisem Laabei, Alaa Alnahari, Eóin C. O’Brien, Keenan A. Lacey, Leann Bacon, Kate J. Heesom, Chih-Lung Fu, Michaël Otto, Eric P. Skaar, Rachel M. McLoughlin, Ruth C. Massey
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains is making all types of S. aureus infections more challenging to treat. With a pressing need to develop alternative control strategies to use alongside or in place of conventional antibiotics, one approach is the targeting of established virulence factors. However, attempts at this have had little success to date, suggesting that we need to better understand how this pathogen causes disease if effective targets are to be identified.
Topics & Concepts
Staphylococcus aureusBiologyPathogenVirulenceMicrobiologyAntibioticsHuman pathogenPathogenicityStaphylococcal infectionsBacteriaGeneGeneticsAntimicrobial Resistance in StaphylococcusBacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBacterial Genetics and Biotechnology