Staphylococcus

Retno Budiarti, dr, M.Kes

Microbiology department
Medical Faculty – Hang Tuah University

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Staphylococcus aureus. Electron micrograph from Visuals
Unlimited, with permission.

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 Common inhabitant of the skin and mucous
membranes
 Spherical cells arranged in irregular clusters
 Gram-positive
 Lack spores and flagella
 May have capsule
 Catalase-producing

 Glucose fermenters
 Primarily aerobic, some facultatively anaerobic

characteristic
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 Enzymes
 Enterotoxins
 Cytolytic toxins
 Protein A

Virulence factors of S aureus

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  Grows in large, round, opaque colonies
 Optimum temperature of 37oC
 Facultative anaerobe
 Withstands high salt, extremes in pH, and
high temperatures
 Produces many virulence factors

Staphylococcus aureus
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 Coagulase – coagulates plasma and
blood; produced by 97% of human
isolates; diagnostic
 Hyaluronidase – digests connective tissue
 Staphylokinase – digests blood clots
 DNase – digests DNA
 Lipases – digest oils; enhances
colonization on skin
 Penicillinase – inactivates penicillin

enzymes
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 Hemolysins (α, β, γ, δ) – lyse red blood
cells
 Leukocidin – lyses neutrophils and
macrophages
 Enterotoxin – induce gastrointestinal
distress
 Exfoliative toxin – separates the epidermis
from the dermis
 Toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST) –
induces fever, vomiting, shock, systemic
organ damage

toxins
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 Superantigen
Non-specific
binding of
toxin to
receptors
triggers
excessive
immune
response

Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin

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 ◦ Found in cell wall
◦ Binds to Fc part of IgG
◦ Blocks phagocytosis

Protein A
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.

virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus 12

Figure 1. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and Protein A
interact to produce inflammation and tissue damage in MRSA
pneumonia. PVL increases the production of Protein A and
directly results in cell damage while Protein A binds to the
TNF receptor to increase inflammation. TNF = tumor necrosis
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Folliculitis - infection of a hair follicle.

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Carbuncle - deep seated pyogenic (pus-producing) infection of the
skin and subcutaneous tissue.

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Catalase test
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 Found as indigenous flora
 Presence can indicate contamination
 Seeing an increase due to prosthetic
devices, catheters and
immunocompromised
 Habitat: Skin and mucous membranes
 Common human isolates
◦ S. epidermidis
◦ S. saprophyticus

Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci
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Figure Coagulase test (conventional) - a negative test shows
no coagulation; a positive test demonstrates clotting.

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 any group of microorganisms in
which cells stick to each other on a
surface.
 These adherent cells are frequently
embedded within a self-produced matrix
of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS)
 a polymeric conglomeration generally
composed of extracellular DNA, proteins,
and polysaccharides.

biofilm
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 Methicillin, a β-lactam antibiotic, acts by
inhibiting penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs)
that are involved in the synthesis of
peptidoglycan, an essential mesh-like
polymer that surrounds the cell
 S. aureus can become resistant to methicillin
and other β-lactam antibiotics through the
expression of a foreign PBP, PBP2a, that is
resistant to the action of methicillin.
 MRSA are often resistant to other classes of
antibiotics making treatment options limited,
and this has led to the search for new
compounds active against these strains

MRSA : Methicillin resistant

Staphylococcus aureus
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 In the community, most MRSA infections
are skin infections. In medical facilities,
MRSA causes life-threatening bloodstream
infections, pneumonia and surgical site
infections.
 Tugas baca :
mekanisme resistensi yang lain dari
spesies MRSA

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