Advances in the detection of Sortase A activity in Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the most common and important pathogenic bacteria and is the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Sortase A (SrtA), a cell surface-anchored transpeptidase in S. aureus, plays a critical role in the attachment of virulence-associated proteins to the cell wall. Given that SrtA is not directly involved in bacterial survival but mainly regulates pathogenicity, it has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for developing anti-virulence strategies. Quantitative analysis of SrtA activity provides valuable insights into S. aureus colonization levels and virulence potential. Moreover, the detection method for SrtA facilitates the screening of inhibitors, and contributes to not only fundamental biological research but also pharmaceutical development and medical diagnostics. In this review, we discuss recent advances and modern techniques in novel methods for identifying SrtA activity, such as porous silicon resonant microcavities (pSiRM), magnetic nanoparticles, fluorescent proteins, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based technologies. Additionally, we provide an objective evaluation of current biosensing technologies including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fluorescent, and electrochemical biosensors, with particular emphasis on their respective advantages and limitations in SrtA activity detection and inhibitor screening. This review aims to provide scientific evidence and potential strategies for developing new therapies against drug-resistant S. aureus while highlighting promising directions for next-generation anti-infective strategies.