The collagen-binding adhesin is a virulence factor in Staphylococcus aureus keratitis

A collagen-binding strain of Staphylococcus aureus produced suppurative inf lammation in a rabbit model of soft contact lens-associated bacterial kerat itis more often than its collagen-binding-negative isogenic mutant. Reintro duction of the cna gene on a multicopy plasmid into the mutant helped it re gain its corneal adherence and infectivity. The topical application of a co llagen-binding peptide before bacterial challenge decreased S. aureus adher ence to deepithetialized corneas. These data suggest that the collagen-bind ing adhesin is involved in the pathogenesis of S. aureus infection of the c ornea.