Modification of the Staphylococcus aureus fibronectin binding phenotype by V8 protease

The amount of cell surface fibronectin (Fn)-binding protein (FnBP) adhesin expressed by Staphylococcus aureus is maximal during exponential growth but disappears rapidly as the culture progresses into stationary phase. To identify factors responsible for the loss of cell surface FnBP, a culture of S. aureus L170, which shows high levels of Fn binding, was supplemented at the time of inoculation with concentrated stationary-phase supernatant from S. aureus L530, a strain which binds Fn poorly. The resulting exponential-phase cells were devoid of FnBP. The factor responsible for this activity was purified from the culture supernatant and identified as V8 protease. When cultured with 375 ng of exogenous V8 protease ml(-1), exponential-phase cells of S. aureus L170 were devoid of cell surface FnBP, and concentrations as low as 23 ng x ml(-1) resulted in reduced amounts of FnBP. Addition of the protease inhibitor alpha2-macroglobulin to the culture medium prevented the growth-phase-dependent loss of cell surface FnBP, whereas growth with exogenous V8 protease resulted in reduced adherence to the solid-phase N-terminal fragment of Fn and to the extracellular matrix synthesized by fetal rabbit lung fibroblasts. Although FnBP was extremely sensitive to V8 protease, exogenous protease did not exert a significant influence on the amount of cell surface protein A. However, a limited number of other high-molecular-weight cell surface proteins were also sensitive to V8 protease. Therefore, both the adhesive phenotype and cell surface protein profile of S. aureus can be modified by V8 protease activity.