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A new approach to toxin neutralization in S taphylococcus aureus therapy
Author(s) -
Parker Dane,
Prince Alice
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.15252/embr.201642015
Subject(s) - staphylococcus aureus , leukocidin , panton–valentine leukocidin , columbia university , medicine , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , biology , genetics , media studies , bacteria , sociology
Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human pathogen responsible for a range of diseases including pneumonia, sepsis, skin, and soft tissue infections. An important component of its success as a human pathogen is the production of a large array of virulence factors including several toxins. In this issue of EMBO Reports , Reyes‐Robles and colleagues [1][Reyes‐Robles T, 2016] identify a glycine‐rich motif shared by bicomponent leukocidins. When this motif is deleted, the altered toxin exerts dominant‐negative effects that neutralize leukocidin function and thus represents a potentially novel avenue for S. aureus therapy.