Attenuated vancomycin bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus hemB mutants expressing the small-colony-variant phenotype

The in vitro bactericidal activities of vancomycin against Staphylococcus aureus hemB mutants displaying the small-colony-variant phenotype and their parental strains were evaluated. Vancomycin killing activities against hemB mutants were markedly attenuated, demonstrating approximately 50% less effect, a result which was well described by a Hill-type pharmacodynamic model.