title: Oxygen-mediated regulation of biofilm development is controlled by the alternative sigma factor sigma(B) in Staphylococcus epidermidis.
abstract: Using a modified rotating-disk reactor to sparge oxygen to Staphylococcus epidermidis cultures, we found that oxygen negatively regulates biofilm development by influencing the activity of sigma(B). Under anaerobic conditions, increased sigma(B) activity activates icaADBC, which encodes enzymes responsible for polysaccharide intercellular adhesin synthesis, by repressing transcription of the negative regulator icaR.
authors.affiliation: UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Engineering and Materials Science Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: O'Gara
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: Eoin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casey
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C079011:SigB protein, Bacteria; D012808:Sigma Factor; D010100:Oxygen