Open AccessComparative Analysis of USA300 Virulence Determinants in a Rabbit Model of Skin and Soft Tissue Infection
Author(s) -
Scott D. Kobayashi,
Natalia Małachowa,
Adeline R. Whitney,
Kevin R. Braughton,
Donald J. Gardner,
Dan Long,
Juliane Bubeck Wardenburg,
Olaf Schneewind,
Michaël Otto,
Frank R. DeLeo
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the journal of infectious diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.69
H-Index - 252
eISSN - 1537-6613
pISSN - 0022-1899
DOI - 10.1093/infdis/jir441
Subject(s) - virulence , pathogenesis , staphylococcus aureus , staphylococcal skin infections , panton–valentine leukocidin , leukocidin , microbiology and biotechnology , hemolysin , biology , skin infection , gene , immunology , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , bacteria , genetics
Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections are frequently associated with strains harboring genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). The role of PVL in the success of the epidemic CA-MRSA strain USA300 remains unknown. Here we developed a skin and soft tissue infection model in rabbits to test the hypothesis that PVL contributes to USA300 pathogenesis and compare it with well-established virulence determinants: alpha-hemolysin (Hla), phenol-soluble modulin-alpha peptides (PSMα), and accessory gene regulator (Agr). The data indicate that Hla, PSMα, and Agr contribute to the pathogenesis of USA300 skin infections in rabbits, whereas a role for PVL could not be detected.
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