A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, has provided the first detailed look at how individual Staphylococcus aureus cells adhere to nanostructures. This research could lead to new ways to prevent and treat infections caused by this dangerous bacterium.

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium that is responsible for a wide range of infections, including skin and soft tissue infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and sepsis. In 2017, S. aureus was the cause of over 11,000 deaths in the United States.

S. aureus is able to cause infections by adhering to host cells and then invading them. The bacteria use a variety of surface proteins to adhere to host cells, including fibronectin-binding proteins (FnBPs). FnBPs are able to bind to fibronectin, a protein that is found on the surface of many host cells.

In the new study, researchers used atomic force microscopy to image individual S. aureus cells adhering to nanostructures that were coated with fibronectin. The researchers found that the bacteria were able to adhere to the nanostructures in a variety of ways, including:

* Single-cell adhesion: Individual S. aureus cells were able to adhere to the nanostructures by a single FnBP.

* Multi-cell adhesion: S. aureus cells were able to adhere to the nanostructures in clusters, with multiple FnBPs from different cells binding to the same nanostructure.

* Bridging adhesion: S. aureus cells were able to bridge between two nanostructures, with FnBPs from the same cell binding to both nanostructures.

The researchers also found that the strength of adhesion between S. aureus cells and the nanostructures depended on the number of FnBPs that were involved in the adhesion. The more FnBPs that were involved, the stronger the adhesion.

These findings provide new insights into how S. aureus cells adhere to host cells. This information could be used to develop new drugs that prevent S. aureus from adhering to host cells and causing infections.

"Our study provides a detailed understanding of how S. aureus cells adhere to nanostructures, which could lead to new ways to prevent and treat infections caused by this dangerous bacterium," said study lead author Dr. Nan Yao.

The study was published in the journal ACS Nano.