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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 2009, p. 2475-2482, Vol. 53, No. 6
0066-4804/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01432-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Impact of sarA on Antibiotic Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus in a Catheter-Associated In Vitro Model of Biofilm Formation{triangledown}

Elizabeth C. Weiss,1 Horace J. Spencer,2 Sonja J. Daily,1 Brian D. Weiss,1 and Mark S. Smeltzer1,3*

Department of Microbiology and Immunology,1 Department of Biostatistics,2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Center for Orthopaedic Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 722053

Received 24 October 2008/ Returned for modification 24 January 2009/ Accepted 7 March 2009

Mutation of the staphylococcal accessory regulator (sarA) in Staphylococcus aureus limits but does not abolish the capacity of the organism to form a biofilm. As a first step toward determining whether this limitation is therapeutically relevant, we carried out in vitro studies comparing the relative susceptibility of an S. aureus clinical isolate (UAMS-1) and its isogenic sarA mutant (UAMS-929) in the specific context of a catheter-associated biofilm. The antibiotics tested were daptomycin, linezolid, and vancomycin, all of which were evaluated by using concentrations based on the MIC defined as the breakpoint for a susceptible strain of S. aureus (≤1.0, ≤2.0, and ≤4.0 µg/ml for daptomycin, vancomycin, and linezolid, respectively). Mutation of sarA had no significant impact on the MIC of UAMS-1 for any of the targeted antibiotics, as defined by Etest antimicrobial susceptibility testing. However, mutation of sarA did result in a significant increase in antimicrobial susceptibility to all targeted antibiotics when they were tested in the specific context of a biofilm. Additionally, whether susceptibility was assessed by using UAMS-1 or its sarA mutant, daptomycin was found to be more effective against established S. aureus biofilms than either linezolid or vancomycin.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham, Mail Slot 511, Little Rock, AR 72205. Phone: (501) 686-7958. Fax: (501) 686-5359. E-mail: smeltzermarks{at}uams.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 16 March 2009.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 2009, p. 2475-2482, Vol. 53, No. 6
0066-4804/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01432-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Weiss, E. C., Zielinska, A., Beenken, K. E., Spencer, H. J., Daily, S. J., Smeltzer, M. S. (2009). Impact of sarA on Daptomycin Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms In Vivo. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 4096-4102 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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