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Research advances in ESAT-6 secretion system in Staphylococcus aureus

WANG Ya-nan, LI Min   

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
  • Online:2016-08-29 Published:2016-08-31
  • Supported by:

    National Natural Science Foundation of China, 81322025, 81371875; Shanghai Shuguang Talent Project, 12SG03; Foundation of Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Committee, 14140901000, 15411960500; Shanghai Municipal Education Commission—Gaofeng Clinical Medicine Grant Support, 20152513

Abstract:

Staphylococcus aureus is an important opportunistic pathogen that causes a variety of infections, which can involve all organs in the body and seriously threat people’s health. The ESAT-6 secretion system widely exists in gram-positive bacteria. Typical ESAT-6 pathway is composed of a gene cluster consisting of esxA, esxB, and nine other molecules in Staphylococcus aureus. ESAT-6/WXG100 protein family secreted by this system plays a critical role in virulence and protective immunity of Staphylococcus aureus. This article reviews research advances in ESAT-6 secretion system in Staphylococcus aureus.

Key words: Staphylococcus aureus, ESAT-6 secretion system, virulence