microbiology, Vol 142, 2153-2160, Copyright © 1996 by Society for General Microbiology

ARTICLES

A low-fibronectin-binding mutant of Staphylococcus aureus 879R4S has Tn918 inserted into its single fnb gene

C Greene, PE Vaudaux, P Francois, RA Proctor, D McDevitt and TJ Foster
Microbiology Department, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

A low-fibronectin-binding mutant of Staphylococcus aureus strain 879R4SSp generated by transposon Tn918 mutagenesis is attenuated in a rat endocarditis model (J.M. Kuypers & R.A. Procter, 1989, Infect Immun 57, 2306-2312). PCR and Southern hybridization analysis with primers and probes, respectively, for the fnbA and fnbB genes of strains 8325-4 showed that strain 879R4SSp possesses a single fnb gene which is homologous to fnbA. This was confirmed by sequencing 41 bp of 5' non- coding and 237 bp of 5' coding DNA, which showed 97% base identity to fnbA. Southern hybridization and sequencing showed that Tn918 was inserted 41 bp 5' to fnbA in the mutant 879R4SSp/1536, between the promoter and initiation codon. Reduced adherence of the mutant to surface-bound fibronectin correlated with lower expression of a 180 kDa wall-associated fibronectin-binding protein.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Vaudaux, P. Francois, C. Bisognano, W. L. Kelley, D. P. Lew, J. Schrenzel, R. A. Proctor, P. J. McNamara, G. Peters, and C. Von Eiff Increased Expression of Clumping Factor and Fibronectin-Binding Proteins by hemB Mutants of Staphylococcus aureus Expressing Small Colony Variant Phenotypes Infect. Immun., October 1, 2002; 70(10): 5428 - 5437. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-A. Que, P. Francois, J.-A. Haefliger, J.-M. Entenza, P. Vaudaux, and P. Moreillon Reassessing the Role of Staphylococcus aureus Clumping Factor and Fibronectin-Binding Protein by Expression in Lactococcus lactis Infect. Immun., October 1, 2001; 69(10): 6296 - 6302. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Rice, M. Huesca, D. Vaz, and M. J. McGavin Variance in Fibronectin Binding and fnb Locus Polymorphisms in Staphylococcus aureus: Identification of Antigenic Variation in a Fibronectin Binding Protein Adhesin of the Epidemic CMRSA-1 Strain of Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus Infect. Immun., June 1, 2001; 69(6): 3791 - 3799. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Bisognano, P. Vaudaux, P. Rohner, D. P. Lew, and D. C. Hooper Induction of Fibronectin-Binding Proteins and Increased Adhesion of Quinolone-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Subinhibitory Levels of Ciprofloxacin Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., June 1, 2000; 44(6): 1428 - 1437. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. E. Vaudaux, V. Monzillo, P. Francois, D. P. Lew, T. J. Foster, and B. Berger-Bächi Introduction of the mec Element (Methicillin Resistance) into Staphylococcus aureus Alters In Vitro Functional Activities of Fibrinogen and Fibronectin Adhesins Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., March 1, 1998; 42(3): 564 - 570. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. P. Lew and F. A. Waldvogel Osteomyelitis N. Engl. J. Med., April 3, 1997; 336(14): 999 - 1007. [Full Text] [PDF]