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Infection and Immunity, May 1999, p. 2299-2305, Vol. 67, No. 5
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Antibacterial Action of Extracellular Mammalian Group IIA Phospholipase A2 against Grossly Clumped Staphylococcus aureus

Mary E. Dominiecki,1 and Jerrold Weiss2,*

Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016,1 and Inflammation Program, Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 522422

Received 3 November 1998/Returned for modification 18 December 1998/Accepted 26 February 1999

Fibrinogen-dependent interactions of Staphylococcus aureus are believed to contribute to bacterial virulence by promoting bacterial attachment to fibrinogen-coated surfaces and inducing the formation of bacterial clumps that are likely resistant to phagocytosis. Although S. aureus produces several fibrinogen-binding proteins, the cell wall-associated protein clumping factor (encoded by clfA) appears to be most important in bacterial interactions with immobilized or soluble purified fibrinogen. We have compared bacterial clumping in several strains of S. aureus, including isogenic ClfA+ and ClfA- Newman strains, in the presence of purified rabbit fibrinogen, human plasma, and inflammatory fluid and examined the effect of clumping on bacterial sensitivity to mammalian group IIA phospholipase A2 (PLA2). This enzyme is the major extracellular bactericidal agent in inflammatory fluid active against S. aureus. Both ClfA-dependent and ClfA-independent bacterial clumping was observed, depending on the source and fibrinogen content of the biological fluid. In each case, clumping only partially reduced the antibacterial activity of PLA2, suggesting that this extracellular enzyme can substantially penetrate dense bacterial clumps. Bacterial clumps could be dispersed by added proteases, restoring full antibacterial activity to PLA2. Thus, the extracellular mobilization of group IIA PLA2 during inflammation may provide a mechanism by which the host can control the proliferation and survival of S. aureus even after bacterial clumping.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA 52242. Phone: (319) 384-8622. Fax: (319) 356-4600. E-mail: jerrold-weiss{at}uiowa.edu.

Infection and Immunity, May 1999, p. 2299-2305, Vol. 67, No. 5
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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