Dracorhodin Perchlorate Targets SrtA To Alleviate Staphylococcus Aureus Pneumonia Infection in Vitro and in Vivo.

Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has severely threatened public health, colonizing approximately 20% of the human population. Thus, targeting S. aureus virulence factors appears to be a promising strategy for infection control. In this study, DP treatment significantly reduced sortase activity, inhibiting S. aureus adhesion and invasion. Computational biology and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed that DP bound to sortase via P30 and T105 residues, which occupied the active center of sortase and inhibited its activity. Additionally, treatment with DP significantly reduced the mortality rate of S. aureus-infected mice and reduced pathological damage to their lungs. Our findings may provide a new agent for developing anti-virulence agents against S. aureus, specifically MRSA infection.