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Infection and Immunity, January 2006, p. 488-496, Vol. 74, No. 1
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.74.1.488-496.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Role of the luxS Quorum-Sensing System in Biofilm Formation and Virulence of Staphylococcus epidermidis

Lin Xu,1,2 Hualin Li,1,2 Cuong Vuong,3,{dagger} Viveka Vadyvaloo,3 Jianping Wang,1,2 Yufeng Yao,3 Michael Otto,3 and Qian Gao1,2*

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China,1 Institute of Medical Microbiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China,2 Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 598403

Received 12 June 2005/ Returned for modification 18 July 2005/ Accepted 5 October 2005

Nosocomial infections caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis are characterized by biofilm formation on implanted medical devices. Quorum-sensing regulation plays a major role in the biofilm development of many bacterial pathogens. Here, we describe luxS, a quorum-sensing system in staphylococci that has a significant impact on biofilm development and virulence. We constructed an isogenic {Delta}luxS mutant strain of a biofilm-forming clinical isolate of S. epidermidis and demonstrated that luxS signaling is functional in S. epidermidis. The mutant strain showed increased biofilm formation in vitro and enhanced virulence in a rat model of biofilm-associated infection. Genetic complementation and addition of autoinducer 2-containing culture filtrate restored the wild-type phenotype, demonstrating that luxS repressed biofilm formation through a cell-cell signaling mechanism based on autoinducer 2 secretion. Enhanced production of the biofilm exopolysaccharide polysaccharide intercellular adhesin in the mutant strain is presumably the major cause of the observed phenotype. The agr quorum-sensing system has previously been shown to impact biofilm development and biofilm-associated infection in a way similar to that of luxS, although by regulation of different factors. Our study indicates a general scheme of quorum-sensing regulation of biofilm development in staphylococci, which contrasts with that observed in many other bacterial pathogens.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China. Phone: 86-21-54237195. Fax: 86-21-54237603. E-mail: qiangao{at}shmu.edu.cn.

Editor: F. C. Fang

{dagger} Present address: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Massachusetts, Worster, MA 01655.

Infection and Immunity, January 2006, p. 488-496, Vol. 74, No. 1
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.74.1.488-496.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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