Evaluation of the Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm-Associated Virulence Factors AhrC and Eep in Rat Foreign Body Osteomyelitis and In Vitro Biofilm-Associated Antimicrobial Resistance

Kristi L Frank; Paschalis Vergidis; Cassandra L Brinkman; Kerryl E Greenwood Quaintance; Aaron M T Barnes; Jayawant N Mandrekar; Patrick M Schlievert; Gary M Dunny; Robin Patel

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0130187

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Evaluation of the Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm-Associated Virulence Factors AhrC and Eep in Rat Foreign Body Osteomyelitis and In Vitro Biofilm-Associated Antimicrobial Resistance

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Evaluation of the Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm-Associated Virulence Factors AhrC and Eep in Rat Foreign Body Osteomyelitis and In Vitro Biofilm-Associated Antimicrobial Resistance

Kristi L Frank, Paschalis Vergidis, Cassandra L Brinkman, Kerryl E Greenwood Quaintance, Aaron M T Barnes, Jayawant N Mandrekar, Patrick M Schlievert, Gary M Dunny and Robin Patel

PloS one, Vol.10(6), pp.e0130187-e0130187

2015

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130187

PMCID: PMC4467866

PMID: 26076451

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Abstract

Enterococcus faecalis can cause healthcare-associated biofilm infections, including those of orthopedic devices. Treatment of enterococcal prosthetic joint infection is difficult, in part, due to biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance. We previously showed that the E. faecalis OG1RF genes ahrC and eep are in vitro biofilm determinants and virulence factors in animal models of endocarditis and catheter-associated urinary tract infection. In this study, we evaluated the role of these genes in a rat acute foreign body osteomyelitis model and in in vitro biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance. Osteomyelitis was established for one week following the implantation of stainless steel orthopedic wires inoculated with E. faecalis strains OG1RF, ΩahrC, and ∆eep into the proximal tibiae of rats. The median bacterial loads recovered from bones and wires did not differ significantly between the strains at multiple inoculum concentrations. We hypothesize that factors present at the infection site that affect biofilm formation, such as the presence or absence of shear force, may account for the differences in attenuation in the various animal models we have used to study the ΩahrC and ∆eep strains. No differences among the three strains were observed in the planktonic and biofilm antimicrobial susceptibilities to ampicillin, vancomycin, daptomycin, linezolid, and tetracycline. These findings suggest that neither ahrC nor eep directly contribute to E. faecalis biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance. Notably, the experimental evidence that the biofilm attachment mutant ΩahrC displays biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance suggests that surface colonization alone is sufficient for E. faecalis cells to acquire the biofilm antimicrobial resistance phenotype.

Biofilms - drug effects

Enterococcus faecalis - drug effects

Rats, Wistar

Biofilms - growth & development

Rats

Male

Foreign Bodies

Osteomyelitis - metabolism

Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - metabolism

Osteomyelitis - drug therapy

Drug Resistance, Microbial

Animals

Osteomyelitis - microbiology

Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - microbiology

Virulence Factors - metabolism

Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology

Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - drug therapy

In Vitro Techniques

Enterococcus faecalis - physiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Evaluation of the Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm-Associated Virulence Factors AhrC and Eep in Rat Foreign Body Osteomyelitis and In Vitro Biofilm-Associated Antimicrobial Resistance
Creators: Kristi L Frank - Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
Paschalis Vergidis - Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
Cassandra L Brinkman - Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
Kerryl E Greenwood Quaintance - Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
Aaron M T Barnes - Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
Jayawant N Mandrekar - Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
Patrick M Schlievert - Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
Gary M Dunny - Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
Robin Patel - Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: PloS one, Vol.10(6), pp.e0130187-e0130187
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130187
PMID: 26076451
PMCID: PMC4467866
NLM abbreviation: PLoS One
ISSN: 1932-6203
eISSN: 1932-6203
Publisher: Public Library of Science; United States
Grant note: T32 HL007741 / NHLBI NIH HHS R01 AI058134 / NIAID NIH HHS T32 AR56950 / NIAMS NIH HHS T32 AR056950 / NIAMS NIH HHS T32 GM008244 / NIGMS NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 2015
Academic Unit: Microbiology and Immunology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984001147002771

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