Alpha-toxin is required for biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus.

J Bacteriol

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.

Published: May 2003

Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen associated with nosocomial infections. It can persist in clinical settings and gain increased resistance to antimicrobial agents through biofilm formation. We have found that alpha-toxin, a secreted, multimeric, hemolytic toxin encoded by the hla gene, plays an integral role in biofilm formation. The hla mutant was unable to fully colonize plastic surfaces under both static and flow conditions. Based on microscopy studies, we propose that alpha-hemolysin is required for cell-to-cell interactions during biofilm formation.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC154062PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.185.10.3214-3217.2003DOI Listing

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