These genes code for small peptides, the phenol-soluble modulins, whose expression depends directly on agr. Due to their surfactant properties, PSMα and PSMβ act as cytolytic toxins that contribute to bacterial dispersion and play an important role in acute staphylococcal infections (Li et al., 2009a; Peschel and Otto, 2013) (Figure 1A). This evidence concerns the gene FOLH1 and staphylococcal infection.