Beta toxin catalyzes formation of nucleoprotein matrix in staphylococcal biofilms

Medora J Huseby; Andrew C Kruse; Jeff Digre; Petra L Kohler; Jillian A Vocke; Ethan E Mann; Kenneth W Bayles; Gregory A Bohach; Patrick M Schlievert; Douglas H Ohlendorf; Cathleen A Earhart

doi:10.1073/pnas.0911032107

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Beta toxin catalyzes formation of nucleoprotein matrix in staphylococcal biofilms

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Beta toxin catalyzes formation of nucleoprotein matrix in staphylococcal biofilms

Medora J Huseby, Andrew C Kruse, Jeff Digre, Petra L Kohler, Jillian A Vocke, Ethan E Mann, Kenneth W Bayles, Gregory A Bohach, Patrick M Schlievert, Douglas H Ohlendorf, …

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.107(32), pp.14407-14412

08/10/2010

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0911032107

PMCID: PMC2922554

PMID: 20660751

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Abstract

Biofilms are surface-associated communities of microbes encompassed by an extracellular matrix. It is estimated that 80% of all bacterial infections involve biofilm formation, but the structure and regulation of biofilms are incompletely understood. Extracellular DNA (eDNA) is a major structural component in many biofilms of the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus , but its role is enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that beta toxin, a neutral sphingomyelinase and a virulence factor of S. aureus , forms covalent cross-links to itself in the presence of DNA (we refer to this as biofilm ligase activity, independent of sphingomyelinase activity) producing an insoluble nucleoprotein matrix in vitro. Furthermore, we show that beta toxin strongly stimulates biofilm formation in vivo as demonstrated by a role in causation of infectious endocarditis in a rabbit model. Together, these results suggest that beta toxin cross-linking in the presence of eDNA assists in forming the skeletal framework upon which staphylococcal biofilms are established.

Biological Sciences

exotoxins

virulence

Staphyloccus aureus

Details

Title: Subtitle: Beta toxin catalyzes formation of nucleoprotein matrix in staphylococcal biofilms
Creators: Medora J Huseby - Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
Andrew C Kruse - Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
Jeff Digre - Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
Petra L Kohler - University of Minnesota
Jillian A Vocke - University of Minnesota
Ethan E Mann - University of Nebraska Medical Center
Kenneth W Bayles - University of Nebraska Medical Center
Gregory A Bohach - University of Idaho
Patrick M Schlievert - University of Minnesota
Douglas H Ohlendorf - Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
Cathleen A Earhart - Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.107(32), pp.14407-14412
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0911032107
PMID: 20660751
PMCID: PMC2922554
NLM abbreviation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN: 0027-8424
eISSN: 1091-6490
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Language: English
Date published: 08/10/2010
Academic Unit: Microbiology and Immunology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984001146402771

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