A point mutation in the agr locus caused previously reported phenotypes in Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia

The role of Panton‐Valentine leukocidin (PVL) in Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis is controversial. Here, we show that an unintended point mutation in the agr P2 promoter of S.aureus caused the phenotypes in gene regulation and murine pneumonia attributed to PVL by Labandeira‐Rey et al. (Science 315:1130‐3, 2007). In agreement with previous studies that failed to detect similar effects of PVL using community‐associated methicillin‐resistant S. aureus strains, we found no significant impact of PVL on gene expression or pathogenesis after we repaired the mutation. These findings further contribute to the idea that PVL does not have a major impact on S. aureus pathogenesis and resolve debate about its role in murine infection models. Moreover, our results demonstrate that a single nucleotide polymorphism in an intergenic region can dramatically impact bacterial physiology and virulence. Finally, our work emphasizes the need to frequently evaluate the integrity of the S. aureus agr locus. 7 hour growth, with 5 different strain comparisons