Conversion of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains from commensal to invasive by expression of the ica locus encoding production of biofilm exopolysaccharide.
To test if biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis is dependent on the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, whose biosynthesis is driven by the ica locus, a plasmid containing the ica locus was transferred to three ica-negative strains. Using in vitro biofilm assays and a rat central venous catheter infection model, we confirmed the importance of the ica locus for biofilm production and pathogenesis of S. epidermidis.
Li
Hualin
H
Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Xu
Lin
L
Wang
Jianping
J
Wen
Yumei
Y
Vuong
Cuong
C
Otto
Michael
M
Gao
Qian
Q
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010957:Plasmids; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D051381:Rats; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C113579:polysaccharide intercellular adhesin