Involvement of iron in biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 7; no. 3; p. e34388
• Main Authors: Lin, Mei-Hui, Shu, Jwu-Ching, Huang, Hsiu-Yun, Cheng, Yi-Ching
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.03.2012; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Bacteria; Biofilms; Biofilms - drug effects; Biology; Biotechnology; Burkholderia cenocepacia; Catheters; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell culture; Chelation; Cystic fibrosis; DNA microarrays; E coli; Escherichia coli; Gene expression; Genes; Humans; Hydrolyzable Tannins - pharmacology; Insurance agents; Iron; Iron - metabolism; Iron Chelating Agents - pharmacology; Laboratories; Mass spectrometry; Medicine; Motility; Polysaccharides; Prostheses and implants; Proteins; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Spectrometry; Staphylococcal Infections - prevention & control; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - physiology; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Studies; Surgical implants; Taiwan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034388

Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen that forms biofilm on catheters and medical implants. The authors' earlier study established that 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (PGG) inhibits biofilm formation by S. aureus by preventing the initial attachment of the cells to a solid surface and reducing the production of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA). Our cDNA microarray and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric studies demonstrate that PGG treatment causes the expression of genes and proteins that are normally expressed under iron-limiting conditions. A chemical assay using ferrozine verifies that PGG is a strong iron chelator that depletes iron from the culture medium. This study finds that adding FeSO(4) to a medium that contains PGG restores the biofilm formation and the production of PIA by S. aureus SA113. The requirement of iron for biofilm formation by S. aureus SA113 can also be verified using a semi-defined medium, BM, that contains an iron chelating agent, 2, 2'-dipyridyl (2-DP). Similar to the effect of PGG, the addition of 2-DP to BM medium inhibits biofilm formation and adding FeSO(4) to BM medium that contains 2-DP restores biofilm formation. This study reveals an important mechanism of biofilm formation by S. aureus SA113.