« Previous Abstract"Synthesis of alpha-hydroxy ketones and vicinal diols with the Bacillus licheniformis DSM 13(T) butane-2,3-diol dehydrogenase"    Next Abstract"Pheromone-regulated expression of sex pheromone plasmid pAD1-encoded aggregation substance depends on at least six upstream genes and a cis-acting, orientation-dependent factor" »

FEMS Microbiol Lett

Title:		Why does Staphylococcus aureus secrete an Enterococcus faecalis-specific pheromone?
Author(s):		Muscholl-Silberhorn A; Samberger E; Wirth R;
Address:		"Universitat Regensburg, NWF III-Mikrobiologie, Germany. Albrecht.Muscholl@biologie.uni-regensburg.de"
Journal Title:		FEMS Microbiol Lett
Year:		1997
Volume:		157
Issue:		2
Page Number:		261 - 266
DOI:		10.1111/j.1574-6968.1997.tb12782.x
ISSN/ISBN:		0378-1097 (Print) 0378-1097 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The long known fact that Staphylococcus aureus can secrete a peptide (staph-cAM373) which acts as a sex pheromone for strains of E. faecalis carrying the sex pheromone plasmid pAM373 was studied in detail. 85 of 100 independent isolates of S. aureus produced an activity inducing the pAM373 encoded adhesin resulting in a clumping reaction of E. faecalis (i.e. secreted staph-cAM373), but not a single one of 100 independent isolates of coagulase-negative Staphylococci possessed this activity. The production of peptides acting as sex pheromone for E. faecalis was observed only for sex pheromone plasmid pAM373, but not for sex pheromone plasmids pAD1 and pPD1. It was shown that the amount of staph-pAM373 produced during growth paralleled cell mass, therefore this peptide should not be used as a cell density indicator by S. aureus (i.e. has no quorum sensing function). The potential function of staph-cAM373 to trigger gene transfer from Escherichia faecalis to S. aureus is discussed"
Keywords:		Bacterial Adhesion Enterococcus faecalis/*drug effects/genetics Gene Transfer Techniques Oligopeptides/metabolism/pharmacology/*physiology Pheromones/metabolism/pharmacology/*physiology Plasmids Staphylococcus aureus/genetics/growth & development/pathogen;
Notes:		"MedlineMuscholl-Silberhorn, A Samberger, E Wirth, R eng England 1998/01/22 FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1997 Dec 15; 157(2):261-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1997.tb12782.x"