Another Score for the Pore: S. aureus Leukocidins Take a Shot on the Endothelium

Sepsis is a complex disease characterized by severe endothelial injury. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Lubkin et al. (2019) Lubkin A. Lee W. Alonzo F. Wang C. Aligo J. Keller M. Girgis N. Reyes-Robles T. Chan R. O’Malley A. et al. Staphylococcus aureus leukocidins target endothelial DARC to cause lethality in mice. Cell Host Microbe. 2019; 25 ( this issue) : 463-470 Google Scholar reveal that an interaction between Staphylococcus aureus leukocidins and their cellular receptor DARC on endothelial cells leads to vascular injury, shedding light on pathogen-driven contributions to sepsis