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Published on: March 11, 2022
Enterococcus faecalis Ebp pili are important for cell-cell aggregation and intraspecies gene transfer
Sabina Leanti La Rosa1, Maria Camila Montealegre1,2, Kavindra V Singh1,3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center,Houston, Texas,USA.
Endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pili (Ebp) in Enterococcus faecalis are crucial for cell aggregation and the spread of genetic material. These pili significantly enhance bacterial conjugation and biofilm formation, impacting infection dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Pathogenesis
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Enterococcus faecalis is a leading cause of biofilm-associated infections.
- Endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pili (Ebp) are known to be vital for E. faecalis biofilm formation, surface adherence, and experimental infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To further characterize the functions of Ebp pili in Enterococcus faecalis.
- To investigate the role of Ebp pili in cell aggregation and horizontal gene transfer.
Main Methods:
- Engineering of E. faecalis strain OG1 derivatives to create pili-deficient mutants (Ebp-).
- Comparative analysis of cell aggregation between wild-type (Ebp+) and mutant (Ebp-) strains.
- Conjugation experiments to assess the impact of Ebp pili on plasmid transfer frequency.
Main Results:
- Loss of Ebp pili resulted in a 36-fold decrease in cell association between mixed E. faecalis strains.
- Conjugation experiments showed a significant increase (280-360%) in plasmid transfer frequency when using Ebp+ strains compared to Ebp- mutants.
Conclusions:
- Ebp pili play a previously unrecognized role in promoting microscale cell aggregation in E. faecalis.
- Ebp pili are important contributors to the horizontal spread of genetic material, influencing bacterial adaptability and virulence.
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