Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis Defends against Staphylococcus aureus through SaeRS Two-Component System

Staphylococcus aureus is a high-virulent Gram-positive pathogen that is responsible for a serious of diseases. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus poses a significant challenge in terms of treatment. The recent research on the human microbiome suggested that the application of commensal bacteria is a new strategy for combating pathogenic infections. Staphylococcus epidermidis, one of the most abundant species in the nasal microbiome, is able to inhibit the colonization of S. aureus. However, during bacterial competition, S. aureus undergoes evolutionary changes to adapt to the diverse environment. Our study has demonstrated that the nasal colonized S. epidermidis possesses the ability to inhibit the hemolytic activity of S. aureus. Moreover, we deciphered another layer of mechanism to inhibit S. aureus colonization by S. epidermidis. The active component present in the cell-free culture of S. epidermidis was found to significantly reduce the hemolytic activity of S. aureus in SaeRS- and Agr-dependent manner. Specifically, the hemolytic inhibition on the S. aureus Agr-I type by S. epidermidis is primarily dependent on the SaeRS two-component system. The active component is characterized as a small molecule that is heat sensitive and protease resistant. Critically, S. epidermidis significantly inhibit the virulence of S. aureus in a mouse skin abscess model, suggesting that the active compound could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent for managing S. aureus infections.