Differential gene expression of the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis subjected to metal stress
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ABSTRACT: Emerging antibiotic resistance among clinically relevant bacteria, paired with their ability to form biofilms on medical and technical devices, represents a serious problem in terms of effective and long-term decontamination in health care environments and gives rise to an urgent need for new antimicrobial materials. Here we present the first study of the impact of AGXX®, a novel broad-spectrum antimicrobial surface coating consisting of micro galvanic elements formed by silver and ruthenium, on the transcriptome of the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. E. faecalis was subjected to metal stress by growing it for different periods of time in the presence of AGXX® or silver-coated steel meshes. Subsequently, total RNA was isolated and next-generation RNA sequencing was performed to analyze variations in gene expression levels in the presence of the antimicrobial materials with focus on known stress genes. Exposure to AGXX® had a large impact on the transcriptome of E. faecalis. After 24 minutes almost 1/5 of the E. faecalis genome displayed differential expression. At each time-point the cop operon was strongly up-regulated, providing indirect evidence for the presence of free Ag+-ions. Moreover, exposure to AGXX® induced a broad general stress response in E. faecalis. Genes coding for the chaperones GroEL and GroES as well as the Clp proteases ClpE and ClpB were among the top up-regulated heat shock genes. Furthermore, differential expression of genes coding for thioredoxin, superoxide dismutase and glutathione synthetase indicates a high level of oxidative stress. We postulate a mechanism of action where the combination of Ag+-ions and reactive oxygen species generated by AGXX® results in a synergistic antimicrobial effect, which is superior to that of conventional silver coatings.
ORGANISM(S): Enterococcus faecalis
PROVIDER: GSE79250 | GEO | 2016/03/16
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA315283
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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