Overview

• An Auburn‑led team reports that the staphylococcal adhesin SdrD binds human desmoglein‑1 with record strength for a noncovalent protein‑protein interaction.
• Single‑molecule atomic force microscopy measurements and atom‑by‑atom computational simulations independently converged on the same force profile.
• Experiments showed the interaction weakens when calcium is reduced and becomes even stronger when calcium is restored.
• The mechanism helps explain elevated infection risk in eczema, where skin calcium balance is disrupted, and it highlights adhesion‑blocking approaches as a potential strategy that remains to be clinically validated.
• Published in Science Advances by collaborators in the U.S., Belgium, and the U.K., the work underscores public‑health importance as S. aureus colonizes about one in three people and MRSA causes roughly 70,000 severe infections and 9,000 U.S. deaths annually.