International journal of medical microbiology : IJMM
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Int. J. Med. Microbiol. · Feb 2010
ReviewStaphylococcal lipoproteins and their role in bacterial survival in mice.
Staphylococcus aureus expresses about 50 lipoproteins (Lpp), which are lipid-anchored in the membrane. The processing of the precursor to the mature Lpp is catalyzed by the phosphatidyl glycerol diacylglyceryl transferase (Lgt) and the lipoprotein-specific type II signal peptidase (LspA) leading to diacylated Lpp. Possibly another acyltransferase attaches a third fatty acid leading to triacylated Lpp. ⋯ In the host, maturation of Lpp confers optimal metal ion - particularly iron - acquisition, it enhances staphylococcal invasion and phagocytosis, intracellular survival and persistence of infections. However, the advantages of Lpp maturation are counterbalanced by the capability to induce inflammation. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the role of Lpp in iron acquisition and TLR2 recognition in the host and describe the consequences of Lpp maturation for survival of S. aureus in the host.