Molecular basis of surface anchored protein A deficiency in the Staphylococcus aureus strain Wood 46

Source Publication (e.g., journal title)

PLOS One

Authors

Manasi Balachandran, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow
Richard J. Giannone, ORNL
David A. Bemis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Stephen A. Kania, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-31-2017

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0183913

Abstract

Protein A in Staphylococcus aureus is encoded by the spa (staphylococcal protein A) gene and binds to immunoglobulin (Ig). The S. aureus strain Wood 46 has been variously reported as protein A-deficient and/or spa negative and used as a control in animal models of staphylococcal infections. The results of this study indicate that Wood 46 has normal spaexpression but transcribes very low levels of the srtA gene which encodes the sortase A (SrtA) enzyme. This is consistent with unique mutations in the srtA promoter. In this study, a low level of sortase A explains deficient anchoring of proteins with an LPXTG motif, such as protein A, fibrinogen-binding protein and fibronectin-binding proteins A and B on to the peptidoglycan cell wall. The activity of secreted protein A is an important consideration for use of Wood 46 in functional experiments and animal models.

Comments

This article was published openly thanks to the University of Tennessee Open Publishing Support Fund.

Licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 license.

Recommended Citation

Balachandran M, Richard J. Giannone, David A. Bemis, Stephen A. Kania. “Molecular Basis of surface anchored protein A deficiency in the Staphylococcus aureus strain Wood 46. PLOS One 12, no. 8 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183913.

Submission Type

Publisher's Version