Synthesis of Microcapsule by Staphylococcus aureus Is Not Responsive to Environmental Phosphate Concentrations

The polysaccharide microcapsule of Staphylococcus aureus has been reported to be differentially expressed depending on growth conditions, with phosphate concentration being the critical environmental component. This study evaluated the effect of growth of a serotype 8 strain of S. aureus in phosphate-replete and phosphate-limiting media on microcapsule production. The presence of the cell wall polymers microcapsule and teichoic acid was measured by both gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Production of microcapsule was unaffected by changes in the environmental phosphate concentration. There was, additionally, no evidence for a shift from teichoic acid to teichuronic acid synthesis.