Gold-Colored Staph Strains More Dangerous
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Gold-colored strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria tend to cause more disease than colorless strains because they carry antioxidants to protect themselves against immune system attack, researchers reported Monday in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Victor Nizet of UC San Diego and colleagues found that the antioxidant compounds, called carotenoids, help defend the colored bacteria from toxic molecules made by immune system cells called neutrophils.
Carotenoids give carrots their color and include the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene.
