Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent etiological agent of suppurative abscesses. In principle, abscess formation and purulent exudate are classical physiological features of healing and tissue repair. However, S. aureus deploys two coagulases that can usurp this classical host response and form distinct abscess lesions. Here, we establish that during coinfection with coagulase producers and non-producers, coagulases are shared public goods that contribute to staphylococcal persistence, abscess formation, and disease progression. Coagulase-negative mutants that do not produce the public goods themselves are able to exploit those cooperatively secreted by producers and thereby thrive during coinfection at the expense of others. This study shows the importance of social interactions among pathogens concerning clinical outcomes.

金黄色葡萄球菌是化脓性脓肿的重要病因。原则上，脓肿的形成和脓性渗出液是愈合和组织修复的经典生理特征。但是，金黄色葡萄球菌部署了两种可以干扰这种经典宿主反应并形成明显脓肿病变的凝血酶。在这里，我们确定在与凝固酶生产者和非生产者共同感染期间，凝固酶是共同的公共物品，有助于葡萄球菌的持久性，脓肿的形成和疾病的发展。本身不产生公共物品的凝固酶阴性突变体能够利用生产者合作分泌的突变体，从而在共同感染期间壮成长而以牺牲他人为代价。这项研究显示了病原体之间关于临床结果的社会互动的重要性。