Staphylococcus aureus surface LC-MS/MS analysis

Staphylococcus aureus causes treatment-resistant infections, to which biofilm formation and bacterial persistence contribute greatly. This study aims at the large-scale characterization of mechanisms behind its prolonged persistence in hostile environments and capability to evade host defenses. We carried out the analysis of surface-exposed proteins in S. aureus biofilms prepared from two types of inocula; metabolically active, levofloxacin-susceptible culture and stationary phase, levofloxacin-tolerant culture. Age-synchronized planktonic control cultures provided a reference to facilitate the identification of growth mode-specific surface-expression patterns.