Conversion of <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> Strains from Commensal to Invasive by Expression of the <i>ica</i> Locus Encoding Production of Biofilm Exopolysaccharide

Abstract

To test if biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis is dependent on the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, whose biosynthesis is driven by the ica locus, a plasmid containing the ica locus was transferred to three ica-negative strains. Using in vitro biofilm assays and a rat central venous catheter infection model, we confirmed the importance of the ica locus for biofilm production and pathogenesis of S. epidermidis.