Crystal Structure of Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 The RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 cleaves double-stranded DNA targets with a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) and complementarity to the guide RNA This paper describes the structure of Staphylococcus aureus TarM, an enzyme responsible for the glycosylation of wall teichoic acid that is important in pathological processes such as host immunity, phage binding, and antibiotic resistance in strains such as Methicillin-resistant S. aureus . The TarM structure is presented in an unusual ternary-like complex that features a polymeric acceptor substrate analogue and a trapped product of enzyme action, lending novel structural and mechanistic. The final models have good stereochemistry: the native structure has one monomer in the asymmetric unit with 97% of residues in the favoured region of the Ramachandran plot and 0.6% outliers; the UDP-GlcNAc:Mn structure has two monomers in the asymmetric unit with 97% of residues in the favoured region of the Ramachandran plot and 1.4% outliers; the UDP structure has one monomer in the asymmetric unit with 97% of residues in the favoured region of the Ramachandran plot and 0.3% outliers; and. Cell structure and metabolism Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive bacteria, which means that the cell wall of this bacteria consists of a very thick peptidoglycan layer. They form spherical colonies in clusters in 2 planes and have no flagella Based on the scaffold model, we now present computer simulation studies on the peptidoglycan arrangement of the gram-positive organism Staphylococcus aureus, which show that the orientation of peptide bridges is critical for the highly cross-linked murein architecture of this microorganism. According to the proposed refined model, staphylococcal murein is composed of glycan and oligopeptide chains, both running in a plane that is perpendicular to the plasma membrane, with oligopeptide chains.
Staphylococcus aureus surface proteins play important roles in host tissue colonization, biofilm formation, and bacterial virulence and are thus essential for successful host infections. The surface protein SdrC from S. aureus induces bacterial biofilm formation via an intermolecular homophilic interaction of its N2 domains. However, the molecular. MORPHOLOGY OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS. Shape - Round shape (cocci) Size - 1 micron (diameter) Arrangement of cells - Grape-like clusters; Motility - Non-motile; Flagella - Non-flagellated; Spores - Non-sporing; Capsule - present in some strains; Gram Staining reaction - Gram +ve; CULTURE REQUIREMENTS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS Recently, we harnessed Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 (SaCas9), which is significantly smaller than Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9), to facilitate efficient in vivo genome editing. Here, we report the crystal structures of SaCas9 in complex with a single guide RNA (sgRNA) and its double-stranded DNA targets, containing the 5′-TTGAAT-3′ PAM and the 5′-TTGGGT-3′ PAM, at 2.6 and 2.7 Å resolutions, respectively Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, round-shaped bacterium, a member of the Firmicutes, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin.It is often positive for catalase and nitrate reduction and is a facultative anaerobe that can grow without the need for oxygen. Although S. aureus usually acts as a commensal of the.
Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic yet versatile pathogen that can infect almost all types of tissue in the human body. 33-50% of healthy individuals were reported to be S. aureus carriers. The diseases resulting from S. aureus infection range from superficial infections; invasive infections such as endocarditis to the life threatening. Staphylococcus aureus Cell Wall Structure A S.aureus wall consists from three layers: an outer polysaccharide capsule, peptidoglycan (murein) layer, and inner cytoplasmic membrane. Into this structure, proteins and teichoic acid are embedded and protrude from the cell wall on its outer side, forming a fuzzy coat (Picture 4), (12) Cell Structure and Metabolism Staphylococcus aureus is a gram positive bacteria, which means that the cell wall of this bacteria consists of a very thick peptidoglycan layer. They are spherical, form clusters in 2 planes and have no flagella In an effort to reduce that gap, we have determined three different crystal structures of the enzyme CapE of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The structure reveals that CapE is a member of the SDR (short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase) super-family of proteins
The major surface polysaccharides of Staphylococcus aureus include the capsular polysaccharide (CP), cell wall teichoic acid (WTA), and polysaccharide intercellular adhesin/poly-β (1-6)-N-acetylglucosamine (PIA/PNAG) Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium and opportunistic pathogen that colonizes the nasal cavities of ≈30% of the population, increasing the risk of pathogenic infection, especially in the clinical setting [ 1 ] Results: The crystal structure of staphylococcal ETA has been determined by multiple isomorphous replacement and refined at 1.7 Å resolution with a crystallographic R factor of 0.184. The structure of ETA reveals it to be a new and unique member of the trypsin-like serine protease family. In contrast to other serine protease folds, ETA can be characterized by ETA-specific surface loops, a. Staphylococcus aureus surface proteins play important roles in host tissue colonization, biofilm formation, and bacterial virulence and are thus essential for successful host infections. The surface protein SdrC from S. aureus induces bacterial biofilm formation via an intermolecular homophilic interaction of its N2 domains. However, the molecular mechanism of how the homophilic interaction is. In this paper, we have used a panel of biophysical methods, including gel permeation chromatography, analytical ultracentrifugation, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy, to analyze the structural organization of the Staphylococcus aureus collagen adhesin, CNA. Our results indicate that the structure, function, and folding of the ligand-binding domain (A) are not affected by the presence or absence of the other major domain (B)
Staphylococcus aureus is a highly versatile pathogen that can infect human tissue by producing a large arsenal of virulence factors that are tightly regulated by a complex regulatory network. Rot, which shares sequence similarity with SarA homologues, is a global regulator that regulates numerous virulence genes Crystal structures of these inhibitors have been solved in complex with the tyrosyl‐tRNA synthetase from Staphylococcus aureus, the bacterium that is largely responsible for hospital‐acquired infections. The full‐length enzyme yielded crystals that diffracted to 2.8 Å resolution, but a truncated version of the enzyme allowed the. Staphylococcus aureus is resistant to β-lactam antibiotics and causes several skin diseases to life-threatening diseases. FmtA is found to be one of t Structure-Based Identification of Potential Drugs Against FmtA of Staphylococcus aureus : Virtual Screening, Molecular Dynamics, MM-GBSA, and QM/MM | SpringerLin Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections cause significant mortality and morbidity globally. MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics is mediated by two divergons that control levels of a β-lactamase, PC1, and a penicillin-binding protein poorly acylated by β-lactam antibiotics, PBP2a
Here, we report for the first time the crystal structure of the Staphylococcus aureus TA complex YoeB Sa1 -YefM Sa1 at a resolution of 1.7 Å. This structure reveals a heterotetramer with a 2:2 stoichiometry between YoeB Sa1 and YefM Sa1 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) MRSA is short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.MRSA is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria or Staph bacteria, that have developed a resistance to penicillin and penicillin-related antibiotics, including methicillin.These drug-resistant germs, also known as superbugs, can cause serious infections and are more difficult to. Staphylococcus Aureus: Structure and Functions Introduction. 1.1 Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic yet versatile pathogen that can infect almost all... 1.1.1 S. aureus genome and regulation of gene expression. S. aureus has a 2.8-2.9 Mbp circular genome.. Structure and Physiology. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, coccal-shaped, facultative anaerobic bacterium. During binary fission, the two daughter cells that are produced do not completely separate. Incomplete separations of the cells result in the cluster formation. S. aureus is a catalase-positive bacterium that is able to combat the.
Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, round-shaped bacterium, a member of the Firmicutes, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin.It is often positive for catalase and nitrate reduction and is a facultative anaerobe that can grow without the need for oxygen. Although S. aureus usually acts as a commensal of the. Crystal structure of Staphylococcus aureus hydrolase AmiA. DOI: 10.2210/pdb4KNK/pdb. Classification: HYDROLASE. Organism (s): Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus NCTC 8325. Expression System: Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) Mutation (s): No. Deposited: 2013-05-10 Released: 2014-03-12 2. Staphylococcus aureus - general description. Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (S. aureus) belongs to the genus Staphylococcus and to the family Staphylococcaceae [].It was firstly described by Sir Alexander Ogston in 1882 and 2 years later Rosenbach isolated it in a pure culture and introduced the name Staphylococcus aureus.The name of the organism is derived from Greek words staphyle. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, coagulase-positive, catalase-positive, non-motile coccus found in the genus Staphylococcus and family Staphylococcaceae. They are facultative anaerobic organisms, and they cause haemolysis on blood agar. Staphylococcus species are usually arranged in groups, in pairs, as well as in tetrads.They can also occur singly or as single cells
Phages infecting Staphylococcus aureus can be used as therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. However, there is limited information about the mechanism of genome delivery of phages that infect Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we present the structures of native S. aureus phage P68, genome ejection intermediate, and empty particle Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium with strong pathogenicity that causes a wide range of infections and diseases. Enolase is an evolutionarily conserved enzyme that plays a key role in energy production through glycolysis. Additionally, enolase is located on the surface of S. aureus and is involved in processes leading to infection 7MDA Crystal structure of Staphylococcus aureus cystathionine gamma lyase holoenzyme Y103A mutant co-crystallized with NL1. DOI: 10.2210/pdb7MDA/pdb Classification: LYASE Organism(s): Staphylococcus aureus Expression System: Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) Mutation(s): Yes Deposited: 2021-04-03 Released: 2021-06-23 Deposition Author(s): Nuthanakanti, A., Serganov, A., Kaushik, A To investigate the epidemiology and genetic structure of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in China, a total of 416 isolates from 22 teaching hospitals in 12 cities from 2013 and 2016 were characterized by antibiogram analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), spa typing and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing. The predominant meticillin-susceptible (MSSA) genotypes in 2013.
Here, we present the first full 70S ribosome structure from Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium, solved by cryo-electron microscopy. Comparative analysis with other known bacterial ribosomes pinpoints several unique features specific to S. aureus around a conserved core, at both the protein and the RNA levels Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a large number of diverse infections worldwide. In order to support its pathogenic lifestyle, S. aureus has to regulate the expression of virulence factors in a coordinated fashion. One of the central regulators of the S. aureus virulence regulatory networks is the transcription factor repressor of toxin (Rot). Rot plays a key role in regulating S.
As a member of the wwPDB, the RCSB PDB curates and annotates PDB data according to agreed upon standards. The RCSB PDB also provides a variety of tools and resources. Users can perform simple and advanced searches based on annotations relating to sequence, structure and function. These molecules are visualized, downloaded, and analyzed by users who range from students to specialized scientists DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006067 Corpus ID: 17701888. Structure and Mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus TarS, the Wall Teichoic Acid β-glycosyltransferase Involved in Methicillin Resistanc
Staphylococcus aureus FtsA FtsZ abstract The bacterial cell-division protein FtsA anchors FtsZ to the cytoplasmic membrane. But how FtsA and FtsZ interact during membrane division remains obscure. We have solved 2.2 Å resolution crys-tal structure for FtsA from Staphylococcus aureus. In the crystals, SaFtsA molecules within the dime The expression of virulence determinants in Staphylococcus aureus is controlled by global regulatory loci (e.g., sarA and agr). One of these determinants, protein A (spa), is activated by sarS, which encodes a 250-residue DNA-binding protein. Genetic analysis indicated that the agr locus likely mediates spa repression by suppressing the transcription of sarS. Contrary to SarA and SarR, which. Healthcare workers (HCWs) may be a reservoir for Staphylococcus aureus transmission to patients. We examined whether HCW status is associated with S. aureus nasal carriage and population structure (spa types) in 1302 women (334 HCWs) and 977 men (71 HCWs) aged 30-69 years participating in the population-based Tromsø Study in 2007-2008. . Multivariable logistic regression mo
Dokland's study, Structure of the host cell recognition and penetration machinery of a Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage, was recently published in PLOS Pathogens. The first author on the paper was Dokland's student, James Kizziah. Another of Dokland's students, Keith Manning, also co-authored the paper The S. aureus bacterium is surrounded by capsular polysaccharides. These capsular polysaccharides are important in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infection. There are 11 serotypes of capsular polysaccharides that have been identified, and a majority of strains express capsular polysaccharides type 5 (CP5 Chemical Biology in OBC Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry HOT article collectio
Genome structure. The Staphylococcus aureus genome contains about 2.800 to 2.903 million base pairs of DNA. The bacteria has about 2,600 genes in its chromosome. The first whole genome sequence of S. aureus strains were completed by random shot-gun sequencing in 2001.S. aureus plasmids contains genes that encode resistance to antibiotics, heavy metals, or bacteriocides Staphylococcus aureus (2, 3), especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is among the highly resistant, versatile Gram-positive pathogens, which are a major cause of nosocomial infections and impose serious economic burden on health organizations worldwide A hybrid molecule was designed that, when expressed in Staphylococcus aureus, was anchored to the cell wall and could be released by controlled enzymatic digestion. By a combination of molecular biology and mass spectrometry techniques, the structure of the cell wall anchor of surface proteins in S. aureus was revealed
aureus (MRSA), which is characterized by the presence of a single mutation that renders it resistant to methicillin, a semisynthetic penicillin used to treat staphylococcus infections that are resistant to mold-derived penicillin. This strain of S. aureus was first isolated in the early 1960s, shortly afte Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a Gram-positive spherical bacterium which on microscopic examination appears in pairs, short chains, or as bunched, grap.. The crystal structure of the recombinant 19,000 M (r) binding domain from the Staphylococcus aureus collagen adhesin has been determined at 2 A resolution. The domain fold is a jelly-roll, composed of two antiparallel beta-sheets and two short alpha-helices. Triple-helical collagen model probes were used in a systematic docking search to. crystal structures of staphylococcus aureus sortase a and its substrate complex. citation year . 200 In this study, we determined the crystal structure of MccB from Staphylococcus aureus in its apo- and PLP-bound forms. The structures of MccB exhibited similar molecular arrangements to those of MetC-mediating β-elimination with the same substrate and further illustrated PLP-induced structural changes in MccB
Sixty-three Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from bovine sources in the USA and the Republic of Ireland were characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), ribotyping, and random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) typing at two separate laboratories. The S. aureus isolates were assigned by MLEE to 10 electrophoretic types (ETs) (Index of. 2.1. Search for yheA, ylbF, and ymcA Genes in Staphylococcus aureus and Other Gram-Positive Bacteria. The sequences of the YheA, YlbF, and YmcA proteins reported in the genome of the Bacillus subtilis strain 168 (GenBank accession number NP_388861.1, NP_3893 82.1 and NP_389584.1, respectively) were used as a reference to find the yheA, ylbF, and ymcA genes in S. aureus USA300 _FPR3757 and. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most serious pathogens of humans and important animal pathogen. S. aureus infections can easily turn into life-threatening diseases if they are not antibiotically treated. The ability of this microorganism to survive in the presence of β-lactam antibiotics remains the main problem in the therapy
Surface proteins of Gram-positive bacteria are linked to the bacterial cell wall by a mechanism that involves cleavage of a conserved Leu-Pro-X-Thr-Gly (LPXTG) motif and that occurs during assembly of the peptidoglycan cell wall. A Staphylococcus aureus mutant defective in the anchoring of surface proteins was isolated and shown to carry a mutation in the srtA gene Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a global public health threat. MRSA has evolved a complex set of biochemical processes that mobilize the organism for inducible resistance on challenge by β-lactam antibiotics. Interfering pharmacologically with this machinery has the potential to reverse Antimicrobial Resistanc
Staphylococcus aureus; exaggerated structural outline of the peptidoglycan layer. Notice the peptide bridge (pentaglycine and D-alanine) on adjacent chains linking the intra-peptide bounds of the peptidoglycan of S. aureus (Adapted from Murray et al. 1990). Staphylococcus aureus; exaggerated structural outline of the peptidoglycan layer Recently, we harnessed Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 (SaCas9), which is significantly smaller than Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9), to facilitate efficient in vivo genome editing. Here, we report the crystal structures of SaCas9 in complex with a single guide RNA (sgRNA) and its double-stranded DNA targets, containing the 5′-TTGAAT-3′ PAM.
Staphylococcus Aureus on Mannitol Salt Agar 3-Tryptic Soy Agar. Tryptic Soy Agar is a growth media for different bacteria. It is a non-selective media which provide enough nutrients to allow a wide variety of microorganisms. Staphylococcus show convex and circular colonies on this agar. Staphylococcus Aureus on Tryptic Soy Agar 4- Biochemical Tes A: Beta-hemolytic colonies of Staphylococcus aureus on sheep blood agar. Cultivation 24 hours, aerobic atmosphere, 37°C. B: Yellow colored colonies of Staphylococcus aureus on Tryptic Soy Agar. Carotenoid pigment staphyloxanthin is responsible for the characteristic golden colour of S. aureus colonies. This pigment acts as a virulence factor Staphylococcus aureus is normally found on the skin and in the nose of a quarter of the population without the negative effects of infection or disease. Once there is a skin injury, the bacterium can infect the skin, and the risk of skins infection increases. Skin injuries include cuts and scratches, skin disorders like rashes, needle injections from a drug needle or an intravenous catheter.
Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) is a gram-positive bacterium that is found on the skin and in the nasal passages of about a quarter of humans. It is a facultative anaerobe, meaning it can. Airway epithelial cells play a major role in initiating inflammation in response to bacterial pathogens. S. aureus is an important pathogen associated with activation of diverse types of infection characterized by inflammation dominated by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. This bacterium frequently causes lung infection, which is attributed to virulence factors The genetic background and the presence of several virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from intensive care unit (ICU) patients from 14 hospitals in The Netherlands isolated from 1996 until 2006 were investigated. In total, 936 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and 7 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates were collected Structural analysis and investigation of the Staphylococcus aureus ribosome and potential anticancer drugs Daniya Kashinskaya To cite this version: Daniya Kashinskaya. Structural analysis and investigation of the Staphylococcus aureus ribosome and potential anticancer drugs. Biomolecules [q-bio.BM]. Université de Strasbourg, 2017. English. NNT
N2 - Phages play key roles in the pathogenicity and adaptation of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. However, little is known about the molecular recognition events that mediate phage adsorption to the surface of S. aureus. The lysogenic siphophage ϕ11 infects S. aureus SA113 Here we report the crystal structure of the Staphylococcus aureus sortase B enzyme in a covalent complex with an analog of its NPQTN sorting signal substrate, revealing the structural basis through which it displays the IsdC protein involved in heme-iron scavenging from human hemoglobin. The results of computational modeling, molecular dynamics. Solution structure of Staphylococcus aureus virulence protein Sbi 1 1 2 2 1 K.L. Atkins , J. Burman , P. Bernado D. Svergun , and J.M.H. van den Elsen 1 University of Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY Bath, United Kingdom 2 The EMBL-Hamburg Outstation / HASYLAB (DESY) Background: Staphylococcus aureus produces a broad range of virulence factors, including hydrolytic enzymes, toxins and. Staphylococcus aureus is a notable human pathogen for a variety of infections; suppurative (pus-forming) infections, systemic illness and toxinoses. S. aureus has an extraordinary repertoire of virulence factors that allows to survive extreme conditions in human and promote tissue colonization, tissue damage, and ensues life-threatening.
Staphylococcus aureus Self-assembles to first form a non-lytic oligomeric intermediate, and then, a mushroom-shaped homoheptamer structure of 100 Angstroms in length and up to 100 Angstroms in diameter (PubMed:8943190) (Probable) Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria. It stains Gram positive and is non-moving small round shaped or non-motile cocci. It is found in grape-like (staphylo-) clusters. This is why it is. Abstract. Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a large number of diverse infections worldwide. In order to support its pathogenic lifestyle, S. aureus has to regulate the expression of virulence factors in a coordinated fashion. One of the central regulators of the S. aureus virulence regulatory networks is the transcription factor repressor of toxin (Rot)
Citation: Vasu D, Kumar PS, Kumar YN, Chakravarthi VP, Sarma PVGK (2016) Structural and Functional Analysis of Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase of Staphylococcus aureus Exhibiting Variations with Other Bacterial PknB. J Anal Pharm Res 3(7): 00081. DOI: 10.15406/japlr.2016.03.00081 Structural and Functional Analysis of Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase of Staphylococcus The crystal structure of SAV0491, a TatD-related DNase from the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, was determined at 1.85 Å resolution, providing functional and structural insights into a putative DNA-binding mode of SAV0491 Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus pyogenes Microbiology The most common pathogenic staphylococcus, which is often part of the normal human microflora, and linked to opportunistic infections Predisposing factors Nonspecific immune defects-Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, chronic granulomatous disease, hypogammaglobulinemia, folliculitis; skin injury-burns, surgery; presence of foreign bodies.
Medical device-associated staphylococcal infections are a common and challenging problem. However, detailed knowledge of staphylococcal biofilm dynamics on clinically relevant surfaces is still limited. In the present study, biofilm formation of the Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 strain was studied on clinically relevant materials—borosilicate glass, plexiglass, hydroxyapatite. Structure and protective efficacy of the Staphylococcus aureus autocleaving protease EpiP Misty L. Kuhn, Prachi Prachi, George Minasov , Ludmilla Shuvalova , Jiapeng Ruan, Ievgeniia Dubrovska, James Winsor, Monica Giraldi, Massimiliano Biagini, Sabrina Liberatori, Silvana Savino, Fabio Bagnoli, Wayne F. Anderson , Guido Grandi Crystal structures of apo and cAMP-bound SAV1707, a member of the UPF0173 metal-dependent hydrolase family from Staphylococcus aureus, were determined at 2.05 and 1.55 Å resolution, respectively, providing functional and structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of SAV1707 CP (capsular polysaccharide) is an important virulence factor during infections by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. The enzyme CapF is an attractive therapeutic candidate belonging to the biosynthetic route of CP of pathogenic strains of S. aureus. In the present study, we report two independent crystal structures of CapF in an open form of the apoenzyme. CapF is a homodimer displaying a.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria turns immune system against itself. November 19, 2013. Around 20 percent of all humans are persistently colonized with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a leading cause of skin infections and one of the major sources of hospital-acquired infections, including the antibiotic-resistant strain MRSA.. University of Chicago scientists have recently discovered one of the. @article{osti_1247346, title = {Structure and mechanism of the essential two-component signal-transduction system WalKR in Staphylococcus aureus}, author = {Ji, Quanjiang and Chen, Peter J. and Qin, Guangrong and Deng, Xin and Hao, Ziyang and Wawrzak, Zdzislaw and Yeo, Won -Sik and Quang, Jenny Winjing and Cho, Hoonsik and Luo, Guan -Zheng and. Enzymes synthesizing the bacterial CP (capsular polysaccharide) are attractive antimicrobial targets. However, we lack critical information about the structure and mechanism of many of them. In an effort to reduce that gap, we have determined three different crystal structures of the enzyme CapE of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The structure reveals that CapE is a member of the SDR. Structure and Mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus TarS, the Wall Teichoic Acid β-glycosyltransferase Involved in Methicillin Resistance. PLOS Pathogens . DOI : 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006067 3. Staphylococcus • Pyogenic infections • Pigment production not associated with virulence - Golden yellow colonies Staphylococccus aureus - White colonies Staphylococcus epidermidis - White colonies Staphylococcus albus - Lemon yellow colonies Staphylococcus citreus. 4. Staphylococcus aureus. 5. Staphylococcus epidermidis. 9 Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections in the USA and is a major health concern as methicillin-resistant S. aureus and other antibiotic-resistant strains are common. Compounds that inhibit the S. aureus sortase (SrtA) cysteine transpeptidase may function as potent anti-infective agents as this enzyme attaches.