This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dassy, B. Articles by Fournier, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dassy, B. Articles by Fournier, J. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect. Immun., 07 1996, 2408-2414, Vol 64, No. 7
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Respiratory activity is essential for post-exponential-phase production of type 5 capsular polysaccharide by Staphylococcus aureus

B Dassy and JM Fournier
Departement d'Ecologie, Insitut Pasteur, Paris, France.

Capsule formation is believed to have a significant role in bacterial virulence. To examine the possible involvement of capsular polysaccharide (CP) from Staphylococcus aureus in the pathological mechanisms associated with staphylococcal infections, we investigated the influence of respiratory activity on type 5 CP production by S. aureus grown in the presence of various concentrations of dissolved oxygen or nitrate. The effects of several metabolic inhibitors (arsenite, cyanide, azide, trimethylamine N-oxide, 2-heptyl-4- hydroxyquinoline N-oxide, and 2,4-dinitrophenol) were also tested. The metabolism of the bacteria was estimated by measuring their reductive capacity and by monitoring the pH and concentrations of fermentation products. Type 5 CP was always produced by S. aureus during the exponential phase of growth under all culture conditions tested. In contrast, post-exponential-phase CP production appeared to be strictly dependent on the respiratory activity. Since post-exponential-phase CP production contributes at least two-thirds of the total CP obtained, the influence of S. aureus respiration on CP production might be of some importance in the process of infection.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Fuchs, S., Pane-Farre, J., Kohler, C., Hecker, M., Engelmann, S. (2007). Anaerobic Gene Expression in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 189: 4275-4289 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cirz, R. T., Jones, M. B., Gingles, N. A., Minogue, T. D., Jarrahi, B., Peterson, S. N., Romesberg, F. E. (2007). Complete and SOS-Mediated Response of Staphylococcus aureus to the Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin. J. Bacteriol. 189: 531-539 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Begun, J., Sifri, C. D., Goldman, S., Calderwood, S. B., Ausubel, F. M. (2005). Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Factors Identified by Using a High-Throughput Caenorhabditis elegans-Killing Model. Infect. Immun. 73: 872-877 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• O'Riordan, K., Lee, J. C. (2004). Staphylococcus aureus Capsular Polysaccharides. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 17: 218-234 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Somerville, G. A., Said-Salim, B., Wickman, J. M., Raffel, S. J., Kreiswirth, B. N., Musser, J. M. (2003). Correlation of Acetate Catabolism and Growth Yield in Staphylococcus aureus: Implications for Host-Pathogen Interactions. Infect. Immun. 71: 4724-4732 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pohlmann-Dietze, P., Ulrich, M., Kiser, K. B., Doring, G., Lee, J. C., Fournier, J.-M., Botzenhart, K., Wolz, C. (2000). Adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to Endothelial Cells: Influence of Capsular Polysaccharide, Global Regulator agr, and Bacterial Growth Phase. Infect. Immun. 68: 4865-4871 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ross, R. A., Onderdonk, A. B. (2000). Production of Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1 by Staphylococcus aureus Requires Both Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide. Infect. Immun. 68: 5205-5209 [Abstract] [Full Text]