RsbU-dependent regulation of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation is mediated via the alternative sigma factor sigmaB by repression of the negative regulator gene icaR.

ABSTRACT: Transposon mutagenesis of rsbU leads to a biofilm-negative phenotype in Staphylococcus epidermidis. However, the pathway of this regulatory mechanism was unknown. To investigate the role of RsbU in the regulation of the alternative sigma factor sigma(B) and biofilm formation, we generated different mutants of the sigma(B) operon in S. epidermidis strains 1457 and 8400. The genes rsbU, rsbV, rsbW, and sigB, as well as the regulatory cascade rsbUVW and the entire sigma(B) operon, were deleted. Transcriptional analysis of sarA and the sigma(B)-dependent gene asp23 revealed the functions of RsbU and RsbV as positive regulators and of RsbW as a negative regulator of sigma(B) activity, indicating regulation of sigma(B) activity similar to that characterized for Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococc

SUBMITTER: Knobloch JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC427440 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature