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The evolution and maintenance of virulence in Staphylococcus aureus: a role for host-to-host transmission?

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 4, pages 953–958 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Despite progress in our understanding of infectious disease biology and prevention, the conditions that select for the establishment and maintenance of microbial virulence remain enigmatic. To address this aspect of pathogen biology, we focus on two members of the Staphylococcus genus — Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis — and consider why S. aureus has evolved to become more virulent than S. epidermidis. Several hypotheses to explain this phenomenon are discussed and a mathematical model is used to argue that a complex transmission pathway is the key factor in explaining the evolution and maintenance of virulence in S. aureus. In the case of S. epidermidis, where skin contact affords easier transmission between hosts, high levels of virulence do not offer an advantage to this pathogen.

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Figure 1: Agr interference and its role in host-to-host transmission by Staphylococcus aureus.
Figure 2: Transmission and the role of virulence — a mathematical model.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK

    Ruth C. Massey & Mario Recker

  2. the School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK

    Malcolm J. Horsburgh

  3. INSERM, E0230, Lyon, F-69008, France

    Gerard Lina

  4. Universite Lyon 1, Centre National de reference des Staphylocoques, Faculte Laennec, Lyon, F-69008, France

    Gerard Lina

  5. the Institute of Biosciences and Technologies, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, 77030-3303, Texas, USA

    Magnus Höök

Authors
  1. Ruth C. Massey
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  3. Gerard Lina
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  4. Magnus Höök
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  5. Mario Recker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ruth C. Massey.

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Related links

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DATABASES

Entrez Genome Project

Campylobacter jejuni

Enterococcus faecalis

Plasmodium falciparum

CA-MRSA USA300

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus epidermidis

Vibrio cholera

Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

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Massey, R., Horsburgh, M., Lina, G. et al. The evolution and maintenance of virulence in Staphylococcus aureus: a role for host-to-host transmission?. Nat Rev Microbiol 4, 953–958 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1551

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