S. aureus is almost always resistant to penicillin because of beta-lactamase production. When S. epidermidis causes disease, it is almost always in the presence of a foreign body, usually a catheter or prosthetic device. S. saprophyticus is a common cause of urinary tract infection in sexually active young women. Adhesin - a molecule on the bacterial surface that mediates binding to host materials. Ligand - the host molecule that mediates attachment to the adhesin.
Lipoteichoic acids are teichoic acids that are linked to the underlying cell membrane.
Present to a lesser extent in gram-negative bacteria. This binding may produce exuberant non-specific immunologic activation and release of cytokines resulting in dramatic systemic effects. Endocarditis - inflammation,usually infectious, of the inner lining of the heart. For a variety of reasons, the process generally localizes to the endocardial layer of the heart valves. Please make yourselves thoroughly familiar with these two terms.