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Functional diversity of staphylococcal surface proteins at the host-microbe interface

Nicoletta Schwermann1,2, Volker Winstel1,2

  • 1Research Group Pathogenesis of Bacterial Infections, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture Between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|June 5, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Surface proteins of Gram-positive pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus are crucial for virulence, mediating host interactions and immune evasion. Novel strategies targeting these proteins offer new therapeutic approaches for infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Surface proteins are critical virulence factors in Gram-positive pathogens.
  • These proteins mediate host-pathogen interactions, immune evasion, and nutrient acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the multifaceted roles of cell wall-anchored proteins in multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
  • To discuss the impact of these proteins on S. aureus infection pathogenesis and clinical manifestations.
  • To explore novel therapeutic strategies targeting staphylococcal surface proteins and sortases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on staphylococcal surface proteins.
  • Analysis of functional diversity and immune evasion mechanisms.
  • Systematic overview of emerging anti-infective strategies.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcal surface proteins play diverse roles in host invasion, immune subversion, and heme-iron acquisition.
  • These proteins contribute to various clinical manifestations of S. aureus infections.
  • S. aureus employs sophisticated strategies to evade immune cells via surface proteins.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding staphylococcal surface protein functions is key to combating infections.
  • Targeting surface proteins or sortases presents promising therapeutic avenues.
  • Novel anti-infective strategies are needed to address multidrug-resistant strains.
Keywords:
Staphylococcus aureusabscesssortase Asurface proteinsvaccine

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