Single‐cell phenotypic characterization of Staphylococcus aureus with fluorescent triazole urea activity‐based probes

Phenotypically distinct cellular (sub)populations are clinically relevant for virulence and antibiotic resistance of a bacterial pathogen, but functionally different cells are usually indistinguishable from each other. Here, we introduce fluorescent activity‐based probes as chemical tools for single‐cell phenotypic characterization of enzyme activity levels in Staphylococcus aureus. We screened a 1,2,3‐triazole urea library to identify selective inhibitors of fluorophosphonate‐binding serine hydrolases and lipases in S. aureus and synthesized target‐selective activity‐based probes. Molecular imaging and activity‐based protein profiling studies with these probes revealed a dynamic network within this enzyme family involving compensatory regulation of specific family members and exposed single‐cell phenotypic heterogeneity. We propose chemical probe labeling of enzymatic activities as a generalizable method for phenotyping of bacterial cells at the population and single‐cell level.

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