The Two-Component Signal Transduction System ArlRS Regulates Staphylococcus Epidermidis Biofilm Formation in an Ica-Dependent Manner

Authors

Yang Wu, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Jiaxue Wang, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Tao Xu, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Jingran Liu, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Wenqi Yu, University of TübingenFollow
Qiang Lou, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Tao Zhu, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Nianan He, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University
Haijing Ben, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Jian Hu, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Friedrich Götz, University of Tübingen
Di Qu, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Institute of Biomedical Sciences

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0040041

Abstract

Due to its ability to form biofilms on medical devices, Staphylococcus epidermidis has emerged as a major pathogen of nosocomial infections. In this study, we investigated the role of the two-component signal transduction system ArlRS in regulating S. epidermidis biofilm formation. An ArlRS-deficient mutant, WW06, was constructed using S. epidermidis strain 1457 as a parental strain. Although the growth curve of WW06 was similar to that of SE1457, the mutant strain was unable to form biofilms in vitro. In a rabbit subcutaneous infection model, sterile disks made of polymeric materials were implanted subcutaneously followed with inoculation of WW06 or SE1457. The viable bacteria cells of WW06 recovered from biofilms on the embedded disks were much lower than that of SE1457. Complementation of arlRS genes expression from plasmid in WW06 restored biofilm-forming phenotype both in vivo and in vitro. WW06 maintained the ability to undergo initial attachment. Transcription levels of several genes involved in biofilm formation, including icaADBC, sigB, and sarA, were decreased in WW06, compared to SE1457; and icaR expression was increased in WW06, detected by real-time reverse-transcription PCR. The biofilm-forming phenotype was restored by overexpressing icaADBC in WW06 but not by overexpressing sigB, indicating that ArlRS regulates biofilm formation through the regulation of icaADBC. Gel shift assay showed that ArlR can bind to the promoter region of the ica operon. In conclusion, ArlRS regulates S. epidermidis biofilm formation in an ica-dependent manner, distinct from its role in S. aureus.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

No

Citation / Publisher Attribution

PLoS ONE, v. 7, issue 7, art. e40041

© 2012 Wu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Scholar Commons Citation

Wu, Yang; Wang, Jiaxue; Xu, Tao; Liu, Jingran; Yu, Wenqi; Lou, Qiang; Zhu, Tao; He, Nianan; Ben, Haijing; Hu, Jian; Götz, Friedrich; and Qu, Di, "The Two-Component Signal Transduction System ArlRS Regulates Staphylococcus Epidermidis Biofilm Formation in an Ica-Dependent Manner" (2012). Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications. 117.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/bcm_facpub/117