ABSTRACT
In 1884, Rosenbach isolated two colony types of staphylococci found on humans and, based on their pigmentation, proposed the nomenclature S. aureus and S. albus for the yellow and white isolates, respectively. Many staphylococci encode all the attributes to form biofilms, attaching effectively to surfaces and developing into antibiotic recalcitrant community structures. An appreciation of staphylococci-host interactions can be gained through the exploitation of animal models of infections. Thus, acetylation of peptidoglycan endows pathogenic staphylococci with a specific subversion mechanism against host defenses. Glycan chain length of peptidoglycan is constant in staphylococci. The cytoplasmic membrane is pressed against the wall by an internal osmotic pressure that exceeds that of the external environment. Many staphylococcal plasmids have been developed for genetic manipulation and cloning purposes. Allelic replacement is frequently used to generate chromosomal mutations.
