Research Progress in Accessory Gene Regulatory System of Staphylococcus aureus
金黄色葡萄球菌附属基因调节系统研究进展

Staphylococcus aureus is a primary pathogen that poses a serious health threat as a consequence of multiantibiotic resistance. S. aureus can cause diverse serious diseases in humans and animals through the production of toxins, most toxin genes are positively controlled by the accessory gene regulator (agr) system which is responsible for the regulation of more than 30 virulence factors in S. aureus. The agr system which could be a useful target for drug selection is one of the most extensively studied quorum sensing systems for its potential relevance to human disease. Yet many questions regarding the agr signaling remain unsolved. Herein, we review the agr system as we currently understand them and discuss the inconsistencies of the role and fundamental mechanisms of agr in staphylococcal infections.