Karen Pendergrass, Standards Team

Urease enables S. aureus to survive acid stress and persist in murine kidneys. Its expression is regulated by A and Agr, and its activity is essential for long-term infection, highlighting a critical microbial adaptation for persistence in acidic microenvironments.

Disabling ADH-dependent respiration in Staphylococcus aureus impairs biofilm and alpha-toxin production via fatty acid-mediated repression of the RS system, significantly reducing virulence. These findings highlight metabolic pathways as promising antimicrobial targets.

This study sequenced and analyzed plasmids from poultry-associated Staphylococcus aureus, uncovering diverse resistance and virulence genes, novel mobilizable plasmids, and highlighting poultry as a reservoir for clinically relevant resistance determinants transferable to human strains.

The study demonstrates that Staphylococcus aureus adapts its glucose and lactate metabolism to oxygen levels, efficiently catabolizing lactate to acetate under aerobic conditions. This oxygen-dependent metabolic flexibility may provide a competitive advantage in human host niches.

This review systematically evaluates how trace elements influence thyroid hormone synthesis, metabolism, and disease pathogenesis, emphasizing their diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic significance in clinical endocrinology.

This review summarizes current evidence on how trace elements influence thyroid hormone synthesis, metabolism, and the development of thyroid diseases, highlighting mechanistic links, clinical implications, and the interplay with the microbiome.

The study demonstrated that serum calprotectin is significantly elevated during acute subacute thyroiditis and drops with recovery, offering a novel, independent marker for disease activity, though it does not predict permanent hypothyroidism.

Lugdunin suppresses S. aureus colonization through direct antimicrobial action and by amplifying skin innate immunity. It synergizes with host antimicrobial peptides, promotes neutrophil recruitment via LR/D88 pathways, and may serve as a novel adjunct or standalone topical treatment for RSA skin infections.

Lugdunin is a microbiome-derived cyclic peptide antibiotic with direct anti-S. aureus activity and host immune-boosting effects. It induces L-37 and XCL8, recruits immune cells, and synergizes with host peptides, making it a promising candidate for RSA and atopic dermatitis interventions.

Metallophores in S. aureus are critical for pathogenicity, enabling metal acquisition under nutritional immunity. This review highlights their biosynthesis, regulation, and role in virulence, identifying them as key microbial targets for diagnostics and therapy.