Marginal role of von Willebrand factor-binding protein and coagulase in the initiation of endocarditis in rats with catheter-induced aortic vegetations. Issue 1 (31st December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mancini, Stefano; Oechslin, Frank; Menzi, Carmen; Que, Yok Ai; Claes, Jorien; Heying, Ruth; Veloso, Tiago Rafael; Vanassche, Thomas; Missiakas, Dominique; Schneewind, Olaf; Moreillon, Philippe; Entenza, José Manuel
• Is Part Of: Virulence. Volume 9:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 1615
• Page End: 1624
• Publication Date: 2018-12-31
• Subjects: Clumping factor A -- endocarditis -- staphylocoagulase -- Staphylococcus aureus -- von Willebrand factor-binding protein; Virulence (Microbiology) -- Periodicals; Bacterial diseases -- Periodicals; Molecular microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.05
• DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2018.1528845
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2150-5608

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of infective endocarditis (IE). While the role of S. aureus cell-wall associated protein clumping factor A (ClfA) in promoting IE has been already demonstrated, that of the secreted plasma-clotting factors staphylocoagulase (Coa) and von Willebrand factor-binding protein (vWbp) has not yet been elucidated. We investigated the role of Coa and vWbp in IE initiation in rats with catheter-induced aortic vegetations, using Lactococcus lactis expressing coa, vWbp, clfA or vWbp/clfA, and S. aureus Newman Δ coa, Δ vWbp, Δ clfA or Δ coa/ Δ vWbp/ Δ clfA mutants. vWbp -expression increased L. lactis valve infection compared to parent and coa -expressing strains (incidence: 62%, versus 0% and 13%, respectively; P < 0.01). Likewise, expression of clfA increased L. lactis infectivity (incidence: 80%), which was not further affected by co-expression of vWbp . In symmetry, deletion of the coa or vWbp genes in S. aureus did not decrease infectivity (incidence: 68 and 64%, respectively) whereas deletion of clfA did decrease valve infection (incidence: 45%; P = 0.03 versus parent), which was not further affected by the triple deletion Δ coa/ Δ vWbp/ Δ clfA (incidence: 36%; P > 0.05 versus Δ clfA mutant). Coa does not support the initial colonization of IE (in L. lactis ) without other key virulence factors and vWbp contributes to initiation of IE (in L. lactis ) but is marginal in the present of ClfA.