Exopolysaccharide-mediated surface penetration as new virulence trait in <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>

Abstract

<i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> is a commensal bacterium that normally inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of humans. This non-motile microorganism can also cause lethal infections in other organs by penetrating and breaching the intestinal barrier. However, the precise molecular mechanisms enabling <i>E. faecalis</i> movement and translocation across epithelial barriers remain incompletely characterized. We recently reported that <i>E. faecalis</i> utilizes the RpiA-GlnA-EpaX metabolic axis to generate β-1,6-linked poly-<i>N</i>-acetylglucosamine (polyGlcNAc)-containing exopolymers that are necessary for its optimal migration into semisolid surfaces and efficient translocation through human epithelial cell monolayers. These findings provide new evidence indicating that non-motile bacterial pathogens can exploit carbohydrate metabolism to penetrate surfaces. Hence, targeting this process might represent a new strategy to more effectively control systemic infections by <i>E. faecalis</i>.