AUTHOR=Tan Li , Li Si Rui , Jiang Bei , Hu Xiao Mei , Li Shu 

TITLE=Therapeutic Targeting of the Staphylococcus aureus Accessory Gene Regulator (agr) System

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00055

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.00055

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> can cause numerous different diseases, which has been attributed to its large repertoire of virulence factors, many of which are under the control of the accessory gene regulator (<italic>agr</italic>) quorum sensing system. Under conditions of high cell density, <italic>agr</italic> increases the production of many virulence factors, decreases expression of several colonization factors, and is intimately associated with the pathogenesis and biofilm formation of <italic>S. aureus</italic>. This review summarizes our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying <italic>agr</italic> quorum sensing and the regulation of <italic>agr</italic> expression. The discussion also examines subgroups of <italic>agr</italic> and their association with different diseases, and concludes with an analysis of strategies for designing drugs and vaccines that target <italic>agr</italic> to combat <italic>S. aureus</italic> infections.</p>