Disruption of Functional Membrane Microdomains Enhances Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pathogenesis via Hyperexpression of Hemolysins

Abstract

Simple Summary The high pathogenicity of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is mainly attributed to elevated hemolysin expression. The current study explored the effects of functional membrane microdomains (FMMs) on hemolysin expression and virulence in MRSA, aiming to find new clues for the prevention and treatment of MRSA infections. Our findings demonstrate that FMMs function as a negative regulator of MRSA virulence. FMMs repress hemolysin expression and excessive host inflammatory responses through modulating the VraS/R-Agr signaling axis. This provides novel mechanistic insights into FMM-mediated regulation of hemolysis and offers a theoretical basis for developing anti-MRSA therapeutic strategies targeting FMMs.