Journal article
AhrC and Eep are biofilm infection-associated virulence factors in Enterococcus faecalis
Infection and immunity, Vol.81(5), pp.1696-1708
05/2013
DOI: 10.1128/iai.01210-12
PMCID: PMC3648002
PMID: 23460519
Abstract
Enterococcus faecalis is part of the human intestinal microbiome and is a prominent cause of health care-associated infections. The pathogenesis of many E. faecalis infections, including endocarditis and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), is related to the ability of clinical isolates to form biofilms. To identify chromosomal genetic determinants responsible for E. faecalis biofilm-mediated infection, we used a rabbit model of endocarditis to test strains with transposon insertions or in-frame deletions in biofilm-associated loci: ahrC, argR, atlA, opuBC, pyrC, recN, and sepF. Only the ahrC mutant was significantly attenuated in endocarditis. We demonstrate that the transcriptional regulator AhrC and the protease Eep, which we showed previously to be an endocarditis virulence factor, are also required for full virulence in murine CAUTI. Therefore, AhrC and Eep can be classified as enterococcal biofilm-associated virulence factors. Loss of ahrC caused defects in early attachment and accumulation of biofilm biomass. Characterization of ahrC transcription revealed that the temporal expression of this locus observed in wild-type cells promotes initiation of early biofilm formation and the establishment of endocarditis. This is the first report of AhrC serving as a virulence factor in any bacterial species.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- AhrC and Eep are biofilm infection-associated virulence factors in Enterococcus faecalis
- Creators
- Kristi L Frank - Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. fran0616@umn.eduPascale S GuitonAaron M T BarnesDawn A ManiasOlivia N Chuang-SmithPetra L KohlerAdam R SpauldingScott J HultgrenPatrick M SchlievertGary M Dunny
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Infection and immunity, Vol.81(5), pp.1696-1708
- Publisher
- United States
- DOI
- 10.1128/iai.01210-12
- PMID
- 23460519
- PMCID
- PMC3648002
- ISSN
- 1098-5522
- eISSN
- 1098-5522
- Grant note
- R01AI58134 / NIAID NIH HHS F32AI082881 / NIAID NIH HHS P50 DK064540 / NIDDK NIH HHS R01 AI058134 / NIAID NIH HHS T32GM008244 / NIGMS NIH HHS F32 AI082881 / NIAID NIH HHS R01DK51406 / NIDDK NIH HHS P50DK64540 / NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK051406 / NIDDK NIH HHS T32 GM008244 / NIGMS NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/2013
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984001138802771
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