Open AccessThe Presence of icaADBC Is Detrimental to the Colonization of Human Skin by Staphylococcus epidermidis
Author(s) -
Kathie L. Rogers,
Mark E. Rupp,
Paul D. Fey
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.01017-08
Subject(s) - staphylococcus epidermidis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , colonization , biofilm , strain (injury) , mutant , human pathogen , genetics , gene , bacteria , staphylococcus aureus , anatomy
Previous studies have demonstrated thatStaphylococcus epidermidis isolates colonizing the skin of healthy humans do not typically encodeicaADBC , the genes responsible for the production of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin or biofilms. It was therefore hypothesized that the presence oficaADBC was deleterious to the successful colonization of human skin byS. epidermidis . Using a human skin competition model, it was determined that the strong biofilm-producingS. epidermidis strain 1457 was outcompeted at 1, 3, and 10 days by an isogenicicaADBC mutant (1457ica ::dhfr ), suggesting a fitness cost for carriage oficaADBC .