Impact of Extracellular Nuclease Production on the Biofilm Phenotype of Staphylococcus aureus under <i>In Vitro</i> and <i>In Vivo</i> Conditions

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that extracellular DNA promotes biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus and, conversely, that extracellular nucleases limit the ability to form a biofilm. S. aureus produces at least two extracellular nucleases, and in the study described in this report, we examined the impact of each of these nucleases on biofilm formation under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Our results demonstrate that both nucleases impact biofilm formation in the clinical isolate UAMS-1. Under certain in vitro conditions, this impact is negative, with mutation of either or both of the nuclease genes (nuc1 and nuc2) resulting in an enhanced capacity to form a biofilm. However, this effect was not apparent in vivo in a murine model of catheter-associated biofilm formation. Rather, mutation of either or both nuclease genes appeared to limit biofilm formation to a degree that could be correlated with increased susceptibility to daptomycin.