Paper names scaffold protein as target for infection

In a paper published in Cell Chemical Biology, researchers from the University of Würzburg showed that inhibition of the membrane scaffold protein Staphylococcus aureus flotillin reduced virulence. The authors suggested the target could be used to develop antimicrobial treatments for multi-drug resistant bacterial infection.

The team demonstrated that flotillin promotes degradosome oligomerization in S. aureus and increases virulence. In invertebrate and mouse infection models, either mutated flotillin or inhibition of the protein using small molecules interfered with oligomerization, reduced virulence and improved survival. The scientists evaluated flotillin small molecule inhibitors including Impavido miltefosine, zaragozic acid and 5-doxyl-stearic acid (5-DSA)...