Fibronectin, Collagen and Vitronectin Binding of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

Abstract

Fibronectin (Fn) binding was common among S.aureus and less common among various coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CNS) strains from human infections. Type I and Type IV collagen (Cn) binding seems to be more common in CNS than in S. aureus. Vitronectin (Vn) binding was of low magnitude compared to Fn and Cn binding. Vn binding was of low affinity as shown by displacement experiments. Vn and Type I Cn binding were coordinated in both S.aureus and CNS strains. Such coordinated binding was not evident between Fn and Cn. High immunoglobulin binding strains of S.aureus were often high binders of Fn and Cn suggesting a common regulation. However, these strains were low Vn binders and did not bind to laminin. Two Protein A negative mutants of S.aureus bind Fn, Cn and Vn as the parent strain. Therefore, the involvement of protein A in the binding seems less likely. Inhibition experiments suggest that Vn and Fn bind to separate surface components in S.haemolyticus. The Fn, Vn and Type I Cn binding of S.haemolyticus E2498/86 was resistant to heat and trypsin treatment compared to that of S.aureus strains.