Staphylococcus epidermidis - virulence factors and innate ... - Munin

Biofilm formation in S. epidermidis
Biofilm formation is the most important virulence factor of S. epidermidis. The adaptation to
environmental factors and the metabolic shift contributes to S. epidermidis success in
colonization of host tissue and medical devices, and protects the bacteria against the hosts
immune system (363) and attempts of antibiotic treatments (364, 365). It is now generally
accepted that S. epidermidis infections are dependent on the species ability to adhere to artificial
surfaces and to assemble biofilm consortia (366, 367).
Biofilm formation is commonly described as two-step process with i) initial attachment to
surfaces with ii) a subsequent aggregation and maturation into multicellular structures. A final
detachment phase after steady-state has been acquired then follows. The detachment phase
involves the detachment of single cells or cell cluster by various mechanisms and is believed to
be crucial for the dissemination of the bacteria. The process of biofilm formation and detachment
will be reviewed in more detailed below and in Figure 6.
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