A review of research on staphylococcal phenol-soluble modulins

Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are a novel family of small amphipathic, alpha-helical peptides with strong surfactant-like properties. PSMs have multiple roles in staphylococcal pathogenesis and are considered as important virulence-associated factors. They may cause lysis of many eukaryotic cells, such as human neutrophils, erythrocytes and dendritic cells; induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines; facilitate the structuring and detachment of biofilms; influence the expression of other genes. This review summarizes the classification, structure, regulatory effect on gene expression and biological function of PSMs. The potential avenues to target PSMs for drug development against staphylococcal infections are also evaluated in this paper. Key words: Phenol-soluble modulins; Staphylococcus; Virulence factor; Agr quorum-sensing system