Involvement of the Iron-Regulated Loci hts and fhuC in Biofilm Formation and Survival of Staphylococcus epidermidis within the Host.

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major nosocomial pathogen with a remarkable ability to persist on indwelling medical devices through biofilm formation. Nevertheless, it remains intriguing how this process is efficiently achieved under the host's harsh conditions, where the availability of nutrients, such as essential metals, is scarce. Following our previous identification of two iron-regulated loci putatively involved in iron transport, hts and fhuC, we assessed here their individual contribution to both bacterial physiology and interaction with host immune cells. Single deletions of the hts and fhuC loci led to marked changes in the cell iron content, which were partly detrimental for planktonic growth and strongly affected biofilm formation under iron-restric

SUBMITTER: Oliveira F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8754135 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature