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Infection and Immunity, September 2006, p. 4982-4989, Vol. 74, No. 9
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00476-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Ligand-Signaled Upregulation of Enterococcus faecalis ace Transcription, a Mechanism for Modulating Host-E. faecalis Interaction

Sreedhar R. Nallapareddy1,2 and Barbara E. Murray1,2,3*

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine,1 Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens,2 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, Texas 770303

Received 23 March 2006/ Returned for modification 27 April 2006/ Accepted 12 June 2006

Enterococcus faecalis, the third most frequent cause of bacterial endocarditis, appears to be equipped with diverse surface-associated proteins showing structural-fold similarity to the immunoglobulin-fold family of staphylococcal adhesins. Among the putative E. faecalis surface proteins, the previously characterized adhesin Ace, which shows specific binding to collagen and laminin, was detectable in surface protein preparations only after growth at 46°C, mirroring the finding that adherence was observed in 46°C, but not 37°C, grown E. faecalis cultures. To elucidate the influence of different growth and host parameters on ace expression, we investigated ace expression using E. faecalis OG1RF grown in routine laboratory media (brain heart infusion) and found that ace mRNA levels were low in all growth phases. However, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR showed 18-fold-higher ace mRNA amounts in cells grown in the presence of collagen type IV compared to the controls. Similarly, a marked increase was observed when cells were either grown in the presence of collagen type I or serum but not in the presence of fibrinogen or bovine serum albumin. The production of Ace after growth in the presence of collagen type IV was demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy, mirroring the increased ace mRNA levels. Furthermore, increased Ace expression correlated with increased collagen and laminin adhesion. Collagen-induced Ace expression was also seen in three of three other E. faecalis strains of diverse origins tested, and thus it appears to be a common phenomenon. The observation of host matrix signal-induced adherence of E. faecalis may have important implications on our understanding of this opportunistic pathogen.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., MSB 2.112, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: (713) 500-6745. Fax: (713) 500-6766. E-mail: bem.asst{at}uth.tmc.edu.

Editor: F. C. Fang

Infection and Immunity, September 2006, p. 4982-4989, Vol. 74, No. 9
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00476-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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