2. Academic Validation
  3. Staphylococcus aureus escapes endosomes and autophagosomes via α-hemolysin

Staphylococcus aureus escapes endosomes and autophagosomes via α-hemolysin

  • Int Immunopharmacol. 2026 Feb 1:170:116072. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2025.116072.
Huiling Xu 1,  Changxi Qi 1,  Chaonan Qu 1,  Jianye Lou 1,  Xiaozhou Wang 1,  Haoyi Zhang 1,  Jianzhu Liu 2,  Yongxia Liu 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China.
  • 2 Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 3 College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41435633 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2025.116072
Abstract

The interplay between endosomal and autophagic pathways is crucial for intracellular transport and modulation of pathogen replication. However, the mechanisms underlying the interaction between endosomes and autophagosomes (APs) in the context of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) Infection are not well understood. Specifically, the fusion of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) or recycled endosomes (REs) with APs remains unexplored. Here, we reveal that S. aureus induces crosstalk between endosomes and APs, a process modulated by CA2+ influx. Depletion of Rab11A from REs impairs APs formation and trafficking. Meanwhile, we identify α-hemolysin (α-toxin, Hla) as a key virulence factor in S. aureus-induced membrane damage. α-Hemolysin facilitates S. aureus escape from vesicles, contributing to cytotoxicity and membrane disruption.

Keywords

Autophagosomes; Endosomes; Rab11A; Staphylococcus aureus; α-Hemolysin.

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