Mechanisms of biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus: functional molecules, regulatory circuits, and adaptive responses.
Biomaterial-associated infections, most frequently caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, are of increasing importance in modern medicine. Regularly, antimicrobial therapy fails without removal of the implanted device. The most important factor in the pathogenesis of biomaterial-associated staphylococcal infections is the formation of adherent, multilayered bacterial biofilms. In this review, recent insights regarding factors functional in biofilm formation of S. epidermidis, their role in pathogenesis, and regulation of their expression are presented. Similarly, in S. aureus the biofilm mode of growth affects gene expression and the overall metabolic status. Experimental approaches for analysis of differential expression of genes involved in these adaptive responses and evolving patterns of gene expression are discussed.
Mack
Dietrich
D
Institut für Infektionsmedizin, Zentrum für Klinisch-Theoretische Medizin I, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Martinistr 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. dmack@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Becker
Petra
P
Chatterjee
Indranil
I
Dobinsky
Sabine
S
Knobloch
Johannes K M
JK
Peters
Georg
G
Rohde
Holger
H
Herrmann
Mathias
M
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins