Fibronectin bound to the surface of Staphylococcus aureus induces association of very late antigen 5 and intracellular signaling factors with macrophage cytoskeleton.

Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I and a clinically isolated coagulase-negative Staphylococcus strain, S. saprophyticus 10312, were found to have two fibronectin binding proteins, FnBPA and FnBPB. While both staphylococci bound to serum fibronectin to a similar extent, fibronectin binding significantly increased the phagocytic activity of macrophages against S. aureus (by ca. 150%) but not against S. saprophyticus. This enhancing effect of fibronectin was inhibited by an RGD sequence-containing peptide and also by anti-very late antigen 5 antibody. This suggests that the effect is mediated by very late antigen 5 expressed on macrophages. In macrophages ingesting fibronectin-bound Cowan I, alpha(5) and beta(1) chains were associated with the cytoskeleton. Cytosolic signaling factors such as paxillin, c-Src, and c-Csk were also associated with the cytoskeleton. On the contrary, beta(3) integrin transiently disappeared from the cytoskeleton when macrophages ingested the fibronectin-treated S. aureus Cowan I. Furthermore, the Src kinase family tyrosine kinase Lyn dissociated from the cytoskeleton. These cellular components did not respond in a fibronectin-dependent manner when macrophages phagocytosed S. saprophyticus. This means that only fibronectin-treated S. aureus Cowan I induces the accumulation of very late antigen 5, which in turn induces the association of paxillin and tyrosine kinases. It is thought that the phagocytic activity of macrophages against fibronectin-treated S. aureus was increased by signaling via the activation of very late antigen 5.