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The PavA-like fibronectin-binding protein of Enterococcus faecalis, EfbA, is important for virulence in a mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection.
- Source :
-
The Journal of infectious diseases [J Infect Dis] 2012 Sep 15; Vol. 206 (6), pp. 952-60. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Jul 10. - Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Enterococcus faecalis is an established nosocomial pathogen, yet the pathogenesis of enterococcal infections, particularly of urinary tract infections (UTIs), remains to be fully elucidated. Fibronectin-binding proteins have been identified as potent adhesins in pathogenic Gram-positive cocci. Here, we characterized EfbA, which is encoded by the enterococcal orthologue of Streptococcus pneumoniae pavA. Similar to PavA, the anchorless EfbA protein was localized to the enterococcal cell outer surface and bound to immobilized human fibronectin. In addition to abrogated EfbA expression, deletion of the efbA gene eliminated EfbA from the cell surface and drastically reduced the enterococcal cell binding to immobilized fibronectin. The ΔefbA deletion mutant was highly attenuated vs wild-type in a murine ascending UTI model, consistent with an increased tropism for the kidney relative to the bladder. These results provide the first evidence that EfbA of E. faecalis plays a role in UTIs, probably contributing to the pathogenesis in this site.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Bacterial Adhesion
Bacterial Proteins chemistry
Bacterial Proteins genetics
Enterococcus faecalis metabolism
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay methods
Female
Fibronectins metabolism
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Gene Deletion
Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial physiology
Immunoblotting
Membrane Proteins metabolism
Mice
Microscopy, Immunoelectron
Protein Binding
Recombinant Proteins
Virulence
Bacterial Proteins metabolism
Enterococcus faecalis pathogenicity
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections microbiology
Urinary Tract Infections microbiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1537-6613
- Volume :
- 206
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The Journal of infectious diseases
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22782954
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jis440