Detection and Quantification of Secreted Nuclease Activity in Staphylococcus aureus Culture Supernatants

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2341:17-24. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1550-8_3.

Abstract

Staphylococcal secreted nuclease contributes to S. aureus virulence by degrading neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which allows the bacterium to evade the host immune system and has also been shown to promote biofilm dispersal. In this chapter, two methods for detecting nuclease activity are described, both of which have increased sensitivity compared to the traditional nuclease agar method.

Keywords: FRET; Nuclease; Salmon sperm DNA; Staphylococcus; Virulence factor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / analysis*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacteriological Techniques
  • Extracellular Traps / metabolism
  • Immune Evasion
  • Male
  • Micrococcal Nuclease / analysis*
  • Micrococcal Nuclease / metabolism
  • Salmon / genetics*
  • Spermatozoa / chemistry
  • Staphylococcus aureus / enzymology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / pathogenicity
  • Virulence Factors / analysis
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Virulence Factors
  • nuc protein, staphylococcus
  • Micrococcal Nuclease