Degree
Master of Science
Program
Microbiology and Immunology
Supervisor
Dr. Martin McGavin
Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis is a ubiquitous skin commensal, and produces a serine protease Esp that can eradicate nasal carriage of the opportunistic pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus. We evaluated the ability of S. epidermidis and S. aureus to express serine protease and compete with one another in response to acidic pH and unsaturated free fatty acids; conditions encountered on human skin. The hypervirulent USA300 strain of S. aureus was more competitive in co-culture conditions of acidic pH or 25 µM palmitoleic acid alone, but could not compete with S. epidermidis when these conditions were combined. Conversely, in pure culture, these conditions promoted abundant expression of the SspA serine protease by S. aureus, but repressed expression of the orthologous Esp protease by S. epiderimidis. Thus, in response to conditions that would be encountered on skin, pathogenic S. aureus maintained production of secreted virulence factors, but S. epidermidis had a competitive growth advantage.
Recommended Citation
Gnanasuntharam, Piraveina, "Evaluating the Co-commensal Lifestyles of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis" (2013). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1838.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1838
Master's Thesis Supervisor Approval