الفهرس 
Effect of zinc limitation on growth and virulence of staphylococcus aureus
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Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) causes a wide range of diseases from skin infections to toxic shock syndrome. The ability of S. aureus to evade human immune responses involves its ability to form biofilm and produce extracellular toxins and enzymes. Zinc is one of the important trace metal elements for the activity of many of the enzymes involved in the pathogenesis of S. aureus. Recent studies showed association of zinc with biofilm formation in S. aureus however the exact role of zinc in S. aureus growth and virulence is still not fully understood.Therefore, this study investigated the influence of zinc on S. aureus growth, biofilm formation and hemolytic activity. Chemically defined media (CDM) without and with zinc at defined concentrations was used to assess zinc effect on the growth and virulence of S. aureus N315 and RN6390 strains. CDM with zinc concentrations 7-20 oM represent physiological range of zinc the bacteria encounter in the host and 50 and 100 oM represent high and toxic zinc concentrations, respectively. Biofilm formation was assessed using crystal violet microtiter plate assay and hemolysis activity was assessed by quantitative microtiter plate assay. The growth of the tested S. aureus strains significantly decreased by 1.5 to 2 folds in absence of zinc compared to 7 and 20 oM, respectively (p < 0.05). Biofilm formation by tested S. aureus strains was significantly reduced due to zinc restriction by 1.5 folds compared to physiological zinc levels (p <0.05)