This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ohlsen, K.
Right arrow Articles by Hacker, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ohlsen, K.
Right arrow Articles by Hacker, J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, November 1998, p. 2817-2823, Vol. 42, No. 11
0066-4804/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Effects of Subinhibitory Concentrations of Antibiotics on Alpha-Toxin (hla) Gene Expression of Methicillin-Sensitive and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates

Knut Ohlsen,1 Wilma Ziebuhr,1 Klaus-Peter Koller,2 Wolfgang Hell,3 Thomas A. Wichelhaus,4 and Jörg Hacker1,*

Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie der Universität Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg,1 Hoechst Marion Roussel Deutschland GmbH, D-65926 Frankfurt am Main,2 Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum,3 and Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universitätsklinik Frankfurt am Main, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main,4 Germany

Received 18 March 1998/Returned for modification 14 July 1998/Accepted 18 August 1998

Concentrations of antibiotics below the MIC are able to modulate the expression of virulence-associated genes. In this study, the influence of subinhibitory doses of 31 antibiotics on the expression of the gene encoding the staphylococcal alpha-toxin (hla), a major virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus, was investigated with a novel gene fusion protocol. The most striking observation was a strong induction of hla expression by subinhibitory concentrations of beta -lactams and an almost complete inhibition of alpha-toxin expression by clindamycin. Whereas glycopeptide antibiotics had no effect, the macrolide erythromycin and several aminoglycosides reduced and fluoroquinolones slightly stimulated hla expression. Furthermore, Northern blot analysis of hla mRNA and Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of culture supernatants of both methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains revealed that methicillin-induced alpha-toxin expression is a common phenomenon of alpha-toxin-producing strains. Some methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates produced up to 30-fold more alpha-toxin in the presence of 10 µg of methicillin per ml than in its absence. The results indicate that the novel gene fusion technique is a useful tool for studying the modulation of virulence gene expression by antibiotics. Moreover, the results suggest that the effects of certain antibiotics on virulence properties may be relevant for the management of S. aureus infections.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie der Universität Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany. Phone: 49-931-312575. Fax: 49-931-312578. E-mail: J.Hacker{at}rzbox.uni-wuerzburg.de.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, November 1998, p. 2817-2823, Vol. 42, No. 11
0066-4804/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Deneve, C., Bouttier, S., Dupuy, B., Barbut, F., Collignon, A., Janoir, C. (2009). Effects of Subinhibitory Concentrations of Antibiotics on Colonization Factor Expression by Moxifloxacin-Susceptible and Moxifloxacin-Resistant Clostridium difficile Strains. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 5155-5162 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Haveri, M., Hovinen, M., Roslof, A., Pyorala, S. (2008). Molecular Types and Genetic Profiles of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Bovine Intramammary Infections and Extramammary Sites. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46: 3728-3735 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gerber, M., Walch, C., Loffler, B., Tischendorf, K., Reischl, U., Ackermann, G. (2008). Effect of sub-MIC concentrations of metronidazole, vancomycin, clindamycin and linezolid on toxin gene transcription and production in Clostridium difficile. J Med Microbiol 57: 776-783 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stanton, T. B., Humphrey, S. B., Sharma, V. K., Zuerner, R. L. (2008). Collateral Effects of Antibiotics: Carbadox and Metronidazole Induce VSH-1 and Facilitate Gene Transfer among Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 2950-2956 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nathwani, D., Morgan, M., Masterton, R. G., Dryden, M., Cookson, B. D., French, G., Lewis, D., on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial, (2008). Guidelines for UK practice for the diagnosis and management of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections presenting in the community. J Antimicrob Chemother 61: 976-994 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dancer, S. J. (2008). The effect of antibiotics on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Antimicrob Chemother 61: 246-253 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dumitrescu, O., Boisset, S., Badiou, C., Bes, M., Benito, Y., Reverdy, M.-E., Vandenesch, F., Etienne, J., Lina, G. (2007). Effect of Antibiotics on Staphylococcus aureus Producing Panton-Valentine Leukocidin. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 1515-1519 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Koszczol, C., Bernardo, K., Kronke, M., Krut, O. (2006). Subinhibitory quinupristin/dalfopristin attenuates virulence of Staphylococcus aureus. J Antimicrob Chemother 58: 564-574 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Micek, S. T., Dunne, M., Kollef, M. H. (2005). Pleuropulmonary Complications of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Positive Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Importance of Treatment With Antimicrobials Inhibiting Exotoxin Production. Chest 128: 2732-2738 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Smith-Palmer, A., Stewart, J., Fyfe, L. (2004). Influence of subinhibitory concentrations of plant essential oils on the production of enterotoxins A and B and {alpha}-toxin by Staphylococcus aureus. J Med Microbiol 53: 1023-1027 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kummerer, K. (2004). Resistance in the environment. J Antimicrob Chemother 54: 311-320 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bisognano, C., Kelley, W. L., Estoppey, T., Francois, P., Schrenzel, J., Li, D., Lew, D. P., Hooper, D. C., Cheung, A. L., Vaudaux, P. (2004). A RecA-LexA-dependent Pathway Mediates Ciprofloxacin-induced Fibronectin Binding in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 9064-9071 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bernardo, K., Pakulat, N., Fleer, S., Schnaith, A., Utermohlen, O., Krut, O., Muller, S., Kronke, M. (2004). Subinhibitory Concentrations of Linezolid Reduce Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Factor Expression. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 48: 546-555 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gemmell, C. G., Ford, C. W. (2002). Virulence factor expression by Gram-positive cocci exposed to subinhibitory concentrations of linezolid. J Antimicrob Chemother 50: 665-672 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nau, R., Eiffert, H. (2002). Modulation of Release of Proinflammatory Bacterial Compounds by Antibacterials: Potential Impact on Course of Inflammation and Outcome in Sepsis and Meningitis. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15: 95-110 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Herbert, S., Barry, P., Novick, R. P. (2001). Subinhibitory Clindamycin Differentially Inhibits Transcription of Exoprotein Genes in Staphylococcus aureus. Infect. Immun. 69: 2996-3003 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Worlitzsch, D., Kaygin, H., Steinhuber, A., Dalhoff, A., Botzenhart, K., Döring, G. (2001). Effects of Amoxicillin, Gentamicin, and Moxifloxacin on the Hemolytic Activity of Staphylococcus aureus In Vitro and In Vivo. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45: 196-202 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rachid, S., Ohlsen, K., Witte, W., Hacker, J., Ziebuhr, W. (2000). Effect of Subinhibitory Antibiotic Concentrations on Polysaccharide Intercellular Adhesin Expression in Biofilm-Forming Staphylococcus epidermidis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44: 3357-3363 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rachid, S., Ohlsen, K., Wallner, U., Hacker, J., Hecker, M., Ziebuhr, W. (2000). Alternative Transcription Factor sigma B Is Involved in Regulation of Biofilm Expression in a Staphylococcus aureus Mucosal Isolate. J. Bacteriol. 182: 6824-6826 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bronner, S., Stoessel, P., Gravet, A., Monteil, H., Prévost, G. (2000). Variable Expressions of Staphylococcus aureus Bicomponent Leucotoxins Semiquantified by Competitive Reverse Transcription-PCR. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3931-3938 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bisognano, C., Vaudaux, P., Rohner, P., Lew, D. P., Hooper, D. C. (2000). Induction of Fibronectin-Binding Proteins and Increased Adhesion of Quinolone-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Subinhibitory Levels of Ciprofloxacin. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44: 1428-1437 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»