Adhesion properties of mutants of Staphylococcus aureus defective in fibronectin-binding proteins and studies on the expression of fnb genes

Molecular Microbiology
C GreeneTimothy J Foster

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus 8325-4 has the potential to express two distinct cell wall-associated fibronectin-binding proteins called FnBPA and FnBPB. In order to test if both proteins are expressed in S. aureus and if both are required for promoting bacterial adhesion to fibronectin-coated surfaces, insertion mutations were isolated in each gene. A DNA fragment encoding tetracycline resistance was inserted into fnbA and a fragment encoding erythromycin resistance was inserted into fnbB. A double fnbAfnbB mutant was also constructed. The fnbA and fnbB single mutants showed no significant reduction in their adhesion to polymethylmethacrylate coverslips that had been coated in vitro with fibronectin. However, the double mutant was completely defective in adhesion. Monospecific antibodies directed against the non-conserved N-terminal regions of both proteins confirmed the lack of expression of FnBPs in the mutant strains. Wild-type fnbA and fnbB genes cloned seperately on a multicopy plasmid were each able to restore fully the adhesion-defective phenotype of the 8325-4 fnbAfnbB mutant. This demonstrates that both fnb genes are expressed in S. aureus and that both contribute to the ability of strain 8325-4 to adhere to fibronectin-coated...Continue Reading

Citations

Dec 27, 2005·Medical Microbiology and Immunology·Donavon J HessCarol L Wells
Oct 19, 2002·International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents·C T D PriceJ E Gustafson
Aug 3, 1999·Matrix Biology : Journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology·D JohM Höök
Jul 3, 1998·Current Opinion in Biotechnology·H M Dalton, P E March
Feb 26, 1999·Trends in Microbiology·T J Foster, M Höök
Sep 29, 2001·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·R O Darouiche
Dec 3, 2005·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·George SakoulasGeorge M Eliopoulos
Aug 9, 2002·DNA and Cell Biology·Bradley D Jett, Michael S Gilmore
Jun 30, 2000·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·K E Unsworth, D W Holden
Apr 19, 2000·Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy·G W KaatzT J Foster
Nov 1, 2011·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Adam L J OlssonHenk J Busscher
Jan 16, 2008·Infection and Immunity·Christy L VenturaCraig E Rubens

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Bacterial Respiration

This feed focuses on cellular respiration in bacteria, known as bacterial respiration. Discover the latest research here.