| 초록 |
Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogen equipped with a list of protein toxins, virulence factors, and its notorious antibiotic resistance. Phenol-Soluble Modulins (PSMs), the only peptide toxins of S. aureus, are α-helical amphipathic peptides produced from most staphylococcal species. Since the first evidence about their pivotal role in community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) infection, it has been attracting public attention in various fields including medicine and drug development. Although their major role in human infection is the aggressive cytolysis against human cells including neutrophils and erythrocytes, PSMs have other significant functions related to biofilm formation, pro-inflammatory response stimulation, and antimicrobial activity. Due to the extraordinarily enormous production coupled with the self-regulated secretory mechanism of PSMs, the cognate transporter protein can be a unique target for a novel drug development. |
