An extracellular Staphylococcus epidermidis polysaccharide: relation to Polysaccharide Intercellular Adhesin and its implication in phagocytosis.

BACKGROUND: The skin commensal and opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of hospital-acquired and biomaterial-associated infections. The polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), a homoglycan composed of ß-1,6-linked N-acetylglucosamine residues, synthesized by enzymes encoded in icaADBC is a major functional factor in biofilm accumulation, promoting virulence in experimental biomaterial-associated S. epidermidis infection. Extracellular mucous layer extracts of S. epidermidis contain another major polysaccharide, referred to as 20-kDa polysaccharide (20-kDaPS), composed mainly out of glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and being partially sulfated. 20-kDaPS antiserum prevents adhesion of S. epidermidis on endothelial cells and development of experimental keratitis in rabbits. Here we provide experimental evidence that 20-kDaPS and PIA represent distinct molecules and that 20-kDaPS is implicated in endocytosis of S. epidermidis bacterial cells by human monocyte-derived macrophages. RESULTS: Analysis of 75 clinical coagulase-negative staphylococci from blood-cultures and central venous catheter tips indicated that 20-kDaPS is expressed exclusively in S. epidermidis but not in other coagulase-negative staphylococcal species. Tn917-insertion in various locations in icaADBC in mutants M10, M22, M23, and M24 of S. epidermidis 1457 are abolished for PIA synthesis, while 20-kDaPS expression appears unaltered as compared to wild-type strains using specific anti-PIA and anti-20-kDaPS antisera. While periodate oxidation and dispersin B treatments abolish immuno-reactivity and intercellular adhesive properties of PIA, no abrogative activity is exerted towards 20-kDaPS immunochemical reactivity following these treatments. PIA polysaccharide I-containing fractions eluting from Q-Sepharose were devoid of detectable 20-kDaPS using specific ELISA. Preincubation of non-20-kDaPS-producing clinical strain with increasing amounts of 20-kDaPS inhibits endocytosis by human macrophages, whereas, preincubation of 20-kDaPS-producing strain ATCC35983 with 20-kDaPS antiserum enhances bacterial endocytosis by human macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, icaADBC is not involved in 20-kDaPS synthesis, while the chemical and chromatographic properties of PIA and 20-kDaPS are distinct. 20-kDaPS exhibits anti-phagocytic properties, whereas, 20-kDaPS antiserum may have a beneficial effect on combating infection by 20-kDaPS-producing S. epidermidis.

Bacterial adhesion, intracellular survival and cytokine induction upon stimulation of mononuclear cells with planktonic or biofilm phase Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of hospital-acquired and biofilm-associated infections. Interactions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and monocyte-derived macrophages with planktonic or biofilm phase S. epidermidis cells were studied. Biofilm phase bacteria exhibited higher attachment, as well as, a 10-fold higher intracellular survival in monocyte-derived macrophages than their planktonic counterparts. Stimulation of PBMCs and monocyte-derived macrophages was performed with live or formalin-fixed bacterial cells. Supernatant concentration of selected cytokines was measured by Luminex(®) xMAP(™) technology at different time points. As compared to planktonic phase, biofilm phase bacteria elicited lower amounts of proinflammatory cytokines and Th1 response cytokines, such as TNFα, IL-12p40, IL-12p70 and IFN-γ, whereas they enhanced production of IL-8, GM-CSF and IL-13. This phenomenon was independent of formalin pretreatment. Taken together, these results may contribute to interpretation of observed silent course of biofilm-associated infections.

A modified protocol for isolation and purity evaluation of a staphylococcal acidic polysaccharide by chromatography and capillary electrophoresis.

The extracellular slime of Staphylococcus epidermidis contains, amongst various macromolecules, an acidic polysaccharide (PS) of a molecular mass of 20 kDa with significant antigenic and biological properties. The isolation procedure used so far includes multiple fractionations in anion-exchange chromatographic columns before its final purification by gel filtration chromatography. This protocol is laborious, time-consuming and includes the risk of unnecessary loss of PS quantities. Because of the significance of this PS, a modified protocol resulting in an easier and quicker isolation procedure was developed. Furthermore, identification, purity, charge density and molecular integrity of the isolated polysaccharide were evaluated by a reverse-polarity capillary electrophoresis method.

Adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis to human endothelial cells is associated with a polysaccharidic component of its extracellular mucous layer.

Bacterial adherence to eukaryotic cells is highly contributing to microbial pathogenesis. Bacterial adhesins, macromolecules, and glycosaminoglycan chains of the endothelial cell surface have been implicated in staphylococcal attachment. Our research group has isolated an antigenic polysaccharidic component of Staphylococcus epidermidis extracellular layer, known as 20-kDa PS (PS), and showed that antibodies against this polysaccharide protect from infections. Therefore, the role of PS in S. epidermidis adherence to endothelial cells was studied. For this purpose we examined the impact of PS on the ability of two S. epidermidis strains (a PS-producing and a non-PS-producing strain) to adhere to human endothelial cells in the presence or absence of specific antibodies to this polysaccharide. Hence, it is established that exogenous chondroitin sulfate (CS) decreases, in part, the S. epidermidis' attachment to endothelial cells and the antagonistic binding effect of CS and PS was also studied. The results obtained demonstrate that PS facilitates the adherence of S. epidermidis to both strains. CS abolished the PS-induced adherence in PS-producing strain and partially in the non-PS-producing one. Conclusively, the adherence of S. epidermidis to human endothelial cells is associated with its extracellular PS component and it is suggested that the bacterial binding via glycosaminoglycan chains is an important mechanism underlining the PS-induced binding to endothelial cells.