Dietary Manganese Promotes Staphylococcal Infection of the Heart (Cell Host & Microbe)

Juttukonda et al. reveal that high dietary manganese levels enhance S. aureus virulence and infection of the murine heart. The host protein calprotectin does not limit manganese bioavailability in the heart, permitting S. aureus to acquire excess manganese from the diet and resist reactive oxygen species during infection.