Determination of Staphylococcal Phenol-Soluble Modulins (PSMs) by a High-Resolution HPLC-QTOF System

Phenol‐soluble modulins (PSMs) are multifunctional, amphipathic, α‐helical peptides produced by virtually all staphylococcal strains. They have recently drawn much attention owing to the key contribution of some PSM peptides to staphylococcal virulence, in particular in highly virulent Staphylococcus aureus. High concentration of PSMs may cause cytolysis, damaging neutrophils, immune cells, red blood cells and white blood cells. Furthermore, all PSMs contribute to biofilm structuring and the dissemination of biofilm‐associated infection. Here we describe a method for PSM analysis in S. aureus by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry system (HPLC‐QTOF)