Catabolic Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase Activity Facilitates Growth of Staphylococcus aureus in Defined Medium Lacking Glucose and Arginine

within the native arginine deiminase operon in addition to limited intracellular pools of ornithine. Surprisingly, approximately 50% of S. aureus clinical isolates can grow in media lacking arginine, suggesting that mutations are selected in S. aureus that allow growth in particular niches of the human host.