Thymol Reduces agr-Mediated Virulence Factor Phenol-Soluble Modulin Production in Staphylococcus aureus

Author:

Lade Harshad1ORCID,Chung Sung Hee1ORCID,Lee Yeonhee2,Kumbhar Bajarang Vasant3ORCID,Joo Hwang-Soo2ORCID,Kim Yun-Gon4ORCID,Yang Yung-Hun5ORCID,Kim Jae-Seok1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 05355, Republic of Korea

2. Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, Duksung Women's University, Seoul 01369, Republic of Korea

3. Department of Biological Sciences, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, NMIMS University, Mumbai 400056, India

4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea

5. Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human bacterial pathogen that carries a large number of virulence factors. Many virulence factors of S. aureus are regulated by the accessory gene regulator (agr) quorum-sensing system. Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are one of the agr-mediated virulence determinants known to play a significant role in S. aureus pathogenesis. In the present study, the efficacy of thymol to inhibit PSM production including δ-toxin in S. aureus was explored. We employed liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) to quantify the PSMsα1–PSMα4, PSMβ1 and PSMβ2, and δ-toxin production from culture supernatants. We found that thymol at 0.5 MIC (128 μg/mL) significantly reduced the PSMα and δ-toxin production in S. aureus WKZ-1, WKZ-2, LAC USA300, and ATCC29213. Downregulation in transcription by quantitative real-time (qRT) PCR analysis of response regulator agrA and receptor histidine kinase agrC upon 0.5 MIC thymol treatment affirmed the results of LC–MS quantification of PSMs. In silico molecular docking analysis demonstrated the binding affinity of thymol with receptors AgrA and AgrC. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed no ultrastructural alterations (cell wall and membrane) in thymol-treated WKZ-1 and WKZ-2 S. aureus strains. Here, we demonstrated that thymol reduces various PSM production in S. aureus clinical isolates and reference strains with mass spectrometry.

Funder

BEI Resources, NIAID, NIH

Publisher

Hindawi Limited

Subject

General Immunology and Microbiology,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Medicine

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