MRSA in Stealth Mode Evades Antibody Recognition

Karla D Passalacqua; Mary X O'Riordan

doi:10.1016/j.it.2018.12.004

MRSA in Stealth Mode Evades Antibody Recognition

Trends Immunol. 2019 Feb;40(2):85-87. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2018.12.004. Epub 2019 Jan 1.

Authors

Karla D Passalacqua¹, Mary X O'Riordan²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA.
² Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA. Electronic address: oriordan@umich.edu.

PMID: 30609966
DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2018.12.004

Abstract

In Nature, Gerlach et al. (Nature 2018;563:705-709) report that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus camouflages its surface by displaying a 'stealth' wall teichoic acid (WTA) isomer. WTA can act as a cloak to limit exposure of surface antigens to the immune system, but this report indicates that even the cloak can become immunologically silent.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Cell Wall
Glycosylation
Methicillin
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus*
Teichoic Acids

Substances

Teichoic Acids
Methicillin