@article{mbs:/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.017046-0, author = "Singh, Rachna and Ray, Pallab and Das, Anindita and Sharma, Meera", title = "Enhanced production of exopolysaccharide matrix and biofilm by a menadione-auxotrophic Staphylococcus aureus small-colony variant", journal= "Journal of Medical Microbiology", year = "2010", volume = "59", number = "5", pages = "521-527", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.017046-0", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.017046-0", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1473-5644", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "SCV, small-colony variant", keywords = "HRP, horseradish peroxidase", keywords = "CLSM, confocal laser-scanning microscopy", keywords = "PIA, polysaccharide intercellular adhesin", keywords = "WGA, wheatgerm agglutinin", keywords = "TCA, tricarboxylic acid", keywords = "MBC, minimum bactericidal concentration", keywords = "EPS, exopolysaccharide", abstract = "The role of Staphylococcus aureus small-colony variants (SCVs) in the pathogenesis of biofilm-associated infections remains unclear. This study investigated the mechanism behind increased biofilm-forming potential of a menadione-auxotrophic Staphylococcus aureus SCV compared with the wild-type parental strain, as recently reported by our laboratory. SCVs displayed an autoaggregative phenotype, with a greater amount of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), significantly reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle activity and a decreased susceptibility to aminoglycosides and cell-wall inhibitors compared with wild-type. The biofilms formed by the SCV were highly structured, consisting of large microcolonies separated by channels, and contained more biomass as well as significantly more PIA than wild-type biofilms. The surface hydrophobicity of the two phenotypes was similar. Thus, the autoaggregation and increased biofilm-forming capacity of menadione-auxotrophic Staphylococcus aureus SCVs in this study was related to the enhanced production of PIA in these variants.", }