Gold-colored Bacteria More Dangerous - Study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gold-colored bacteria that cause more disease than colorless strains do so because they carry antioxidants to protect themselves against immune system attack, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Their findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggest a potential new way to treat some serious infections, the researchers said.

Gold-colored strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which get their color from antioxidant compounds called carotenoids, tend to cause more disease than colorless strains.

Carotenoids also give carrots their color and include the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene.

Victor Nizet of the University of California San Diego and colleagues found that the carotenoids help defend Staph aureus bacteria from the toxic molecules made by immune system cells called neutrophils.

When they removed the carotenoids from the bacteria, they were easier to kill.

Drugs that interfere with the bacteria's ability to make carotenoids might help in fighting antibiotic-resistant Staph infections, which are on the rise globally, Nizet said.