The presence of icaADBC is detrimental to the colonization of human skin by Staphylococcus epidermidis.
Previous studies have demonstrated that Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates colonizing the skin of healthy humans do not typically encode icaADBC, the genes responsible for the production of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin or biofilms. It was therefore hypothesized that the presence of icaADBC was deleterious to the successful colonization of human skin by S. epidermidis. Using a human skin competition model, it was determined that the strong biofilm-producing S. epidermidis strain 1457 was outcompeted at 1, 3, and 10 days by an isogenic icaADBC mutant (1457 ica::dhfr), suggesting a fitness cost for carriage of icaADBC.
Rogers
K L
KL
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6280, USA.
Rupp
M E
ME
Fey
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PD
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial