Protein translation machinery holds a key for transition of planktonic cells to biofilm state in Enterococcus faecalis: A proteomic approach

Abstract

Enterococcus faecalis is a member of human gut microflora causing nosocomial infection involving biofilm formation. Ethyl methyl sulfonate induced mutants were analysed using crystal violet assay, SEM and CLSM microscopy which confirmed AK-E12 as biofilm efficient and AK-F6 as biofilm deficient mutants. Growth curve pattern revealed AK-E12 was fast growing whereas, AK-F6 was found slow growing mutant. 2D-Electrophorosis and MALDI-TOF analysis revealed over and underexpression of many translation-elongation associated proteins in mutants compared to wild type. Protein translation elongation factor G, translation elongation factor Tu and ribosomal subunit interface proteins were underexpressed and UTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyl transferase and cell division protein divIVA were overexpressed in AK-E12 as compared to wild type. In AK-F6, except 10 kDa chaperonin which was over-expressed other selected proteins were found to be suppressed. RT-PCR confirmed proteomic data except for the translation elongation factor G which showed contradictory data of proteome expression in AK-E12. Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using STRING 10.0 which demonstrated strong connection of translation-elongation proteins with other proteins. Hence, it concludes from the data that translation elongation factors are important in transition of planktonic cells to biofilm cells in Enterococcus faecalis.

Keywords: Biofilm; E. faecalis; Elongation-translation proteins; Mutants; Proteomics; RT-PCR.