title: The Possible Role of Staphylococcus epidermidis LPxTG Surface Protein SesC in Biofilm Formation.
abstract: Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most common cause of device-associated infections. It has been shown that active and passive immunization in an animal model against protein SesC significantly reduces S. epidermidis biofilm-associated infections. In order to elucidate its role, knock-out of sesC or isolation of S. epidermidis sesC-negative mutants were attempted, however, without success. As an alternative strategy, sesC was introduced into Staphylococcus aureus 8325-4 and its isogenic icaADBC and srtA mutants, into the clinical methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolate MSSA4 and the MRSA S. aureus isolate BH1CC, which all lack sesC. Transformation of these strains with sesC i) changed the biofilm phenotype of strains 8325-4 and MSSA4 from PIA-dependent to proteinaceous even though PIA synthesis was not affected, ii) converted the non-biofilm-forming strain 8325-4 ica::tet to a proteinaceous biofilm-forming strain, iii) impaired PIA-dependent biofilm formation by 8325-4 srtA::tet, iv) had no impact on protein-mediated biofilm formation of BH1CC and v) increased in vivo catheter and organ colonization by strain 8325-4. Furthermore, treatment with anti-SesC antibodies significantly reduced in vitro biofilm formation and in vivo colonization by these transformants expressing sesC. These findings strongly suggest that SesC is involved in S. epidermidis attachment to and subsequent biofilm formation on a substrate.
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laleh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khodaparast
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ladan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khodaparast
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahrooei
authors.affiliation: VUB-Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.|VIB-Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Department of Myeloid Cell Immunology, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stijlemans
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merckx
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Electron Microscopy Facility, VIB Bio Imaging Core, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baatsen
authors.affiliation: National University of Ireland, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: O'Gara
authors.affiliation: University of Liverpool, Institute of Infection and Global Health, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute of Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lieve
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Mellaert
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.|KU Leuven-University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Laboratory Medicine, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Eldere
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D062905:Central Venous Catheters / Q000382:microbiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000601:surgery; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins