Autolysin-mediated peptidoglycan hydrolysis is required for the surface display of cell wall-anchored proteins.

Peptidoglycan hydrolases, or autolysins, play a critical role in cell wall remodeling and degradation, facilitating bacterial growth, cell division, and cell separation. In the so-called "major" autolysin, Atl, has long been associated with host adhesion; however, the molecular basis underlying this phenomenon remains understudied. To investigate, we used the type V glycopeptide antibiotic complestatin, which binds to peptidoglycan and blocks the activity of autolysins, as a chemical probe of autolysin function.

Development and validation of a high-throughput whole cell assay to investigate adhesion to host ligands.

adhesion to the host's skin and mucosae enables asymptomatic colonization and the establishment of infection. This process is facilitated by cell wall-anchored adhesins that bind to host ligands. Therapeutics targeting this process could provide significant clinical benefits; however, the development of anti-adhesives requires an in-depth knowledge of adhesion-associated factors and an assay amenable to high-throughput applications.

Bacterial Anti-adhesives: Inhibition of Nasal Colonization.

Bacterial adhesion to the skin and mucosa is often a fundamental and early step in host colonization, the establishment of bacterial infections, and pathology. This process is facilitated by adhesins on the surface of the bacterial cell that recognize host cell molecules. Interfering with bacterial host cell adhesion, so-called anti-adhesive therapeutics, offers promise for the development of novel approaches to control bacterial infections.