# mSphere of Influence: Metabolic redundancies enhance pathogenesis

## TL;DR

This paper discusses how metabolic redundancies in bacteria enhance their ability to cause disease.

## Contribution

The paper highlights how specific studies on Staphylococcus aureus metabolism have influenced the author's research in bacterial pathogenesis.

## Key findings

- Glycolytic dependency in Staphylococcus aureus contributes to nitric oxide resistance and virulence.
- Cystine transporters in Staphylococcus aureus help acquire sulfur during infection.
- The second messenger c-di-AMP inhibits osmolyte uptake in Staphylococcus aureus.

## Abstract

McKenzie Lehman works in the field of bacterial pathogenesis and metabolism. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how three papers entitled “Glycolytic dependency of high-level nitric oxide resistance and virulence in Staphylococcus aureus” by N. P. Vitko, N. A. Spahich, and A. R. Richardson (mBio 6:e00045-15, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00045-15), “The Staphylococcus aureus cystine transporters TcyABC and TcyP facilitate nutrient sulfur acquisition during infection” by J. M. Lensmire, J. P. Dodson, B. Y. Hsueh, M. R. Wischer, et al. (Infect Immun 88:e00690-19, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00690-19), and “The second messenger c-di-AMP inhibits the osmolyte uptake system OpuC in Staphylococcus aureus” by C. F. Schuster, L. E. Bellows, T. Tosi, I. Campeotto, et al. (Sci Signal 16:ra81, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.aaf7279) impacted her work on bacterial metabolism and pathogenesis.