Two-component signaling in the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus: a silkworm larvae-pathogenic agent infection model of virulence.

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacterium that causes abscesses, pneumonia, endocarditis, and food poisoning. S. aureus is also one of the resident flora of the endotherm and colonizes the host by skillfully evading its defense mechanism. Identification of attenuated mutants of S. aureus in an animal infection model is useful for investigating its adaptability and pathogenesis. This chapter describes a staphylococcal two-component SA0614-SA0615 system, which was identified using a silkworm larvae infection model.