Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that forms biofilms on the surfaces of medical implants. Biofilm formation by S. aureus is associated with the production of poly N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), also referred to as polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), which mediates bacterial adhesion, leading to the accumulation of bacteria on solid surfaces. This study shows that the ability ...

Using fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis, we previously observed that cells within Escherichia coli biofilm are organized in nonrandom or periodic spatial patterns. Here, we developed a gravity displacement assay for examining cell adherence and used it to quantitatively monitor the formation of two distinct forms of cell attachment, temporary and permanent, during early biofilm development....

Vibrio cholerae is a motile bacterium responsible for the disease cholera, and motility has been hypothesized to be inversely regulated with virulence. We examined the transcription profiles of V. cholerae strains containing mutations in flagellar regulatory genes (rpoN, flrA, flrC, and fliA) by utilizing whole-genome microarrays. Results revealed that flagellar transcription is organized into ...

Because of their biofilm-forming capacity, invasive Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates, which cause the majority of nosocomial catheter-related bloodstream infections (BSIs), are thought to be selected at the time of catheter insertion from a population of less virulent commensal strains. This fact allows the prediction that invasive and contaminating strains can be differentiated via detectio...

Introduction: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen that causes several nosocomial or community-acquired infections. Adhesion to surfaces and subsequent biofilm formation are the major phases of a staphylococcal infection. The aim of this study was to detect the presence of icaABCD genes in clinical isolates of MRSA. Methods: A total of 110 clinical Staphyl...

Dental caries is a common infectious disease associated with acidogenic and aciduric bacteria, including Streptococcus mutans. Organisms that cause cavities form recalcitrant biofilms, generate acids from dietary sugars and tolerate acid end products. It has recently been recognized that micro-organisms can produce functional amyloids that are integral to biofilm development. We now show that t...

Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are the leading causes of nosocomial infections in the United States and often are associated with biofilms attached to indwelling medical devices. Despite the importance of biofilms, there is very little consensus about the metabolic requirements of S. aureus during biofilm growth. To assess the metabolic requirements of S. aureus growing in...

Problem statement: Omphalitis is one of the most common causes of mortality in chicks during the first week after hatching. Escherichia coli strains are the most common isolated bacteria from omphalitis cases of chickens. Bacterial colonization in the host cells surfaces is a critical first step in the pathogenesis of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolates. Thus the current study was undert...

EfbA is a PavA-like fibronectin adhesin of Enterococcus faecalis previously shown to be important in experimental urinary tract infection. Here, we expressed and purified the E. faecalis OG1RF EfbA and confirmed that this protein binds with high affinity to immobilized fibronectin, collagen I, and collagen V. We constructed an efbA deletion mutant and demonstrated that its virulence was signifi...

Proteus mirabilis is a common causative agent of cystitis and pyelonephritis in patients with urinary catheters or structural abnormalities of the urinary tract. Several types of fimbriae, which are potentially involved in adhesion to the uroepithelium, can be expressed simultaneously by P. mirabilis: mannose-resistant/Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbriae, P. mirabilis fimbriae (PMF), uroepithelial cel...