Interaction between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus Generates ^· OH Radicals That Rapidly Kill Staphylococcus aureus Strains

Streptococcus pneumoniae strains produce hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) to kill bacteria in the upper airways, including pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus strains. The targets of S. pneumoniae -produced H 2 O 2 have not been discovered, in part because of a lack of knowledge about the underlying molecular mechanism. We demonstrated that an increased density of S. pneumoniae kills S. aureus by means of H 2 O 2 produced by two enzymes, SpxB and LctO....