Interplay of CodY and CcpA in Regulating Central Metabolism and Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus aureus
Logan L. Bulock, Jongsam Ahn, Dhananjay Shinde, Sanjit Pandey, Cleofes Sarmiento, Vinai C. Thomas, Chittibabu Guda, Kenneth W. Bayles, Marat R. Sadykov
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of biofilm-associated infections, including infective endocarditis, worldwide. A greater understanding of metabolic forces driving biofilm formation in S. aureus is essential for the identification of novel therapeutic targets and for the development of new strategies to combat this medically important pathogen. This study characterizes the interplay and regulation of central metabolism and biofilm development by two global transcriptional regulators, CodY and CcpA. We found that the lack of CcpA and/or CodY have different impacts on intracellular metabolic status leading to a formation of morphologically altered biofilms. Overall, the results of this study provide new insights into our understanding of metabolism-mediated regulation of biofilm development in S. aureus.