Staphylococcus aureus Fibronectin Binding Protein A Mediates Biofilm Development and Infection.

Implanted medical device-associated infections pose significant health risks, as they are often the result of bacterial biofilm formation. is a leading cause of biofilm-associated infections which persist due to mechanisms of device surface adhesion, biofilm accumulation, and reprogramming of host innate immune responses. We found that the fibronectin binding protein A (FnBPA) is required for normal biofilm development in mammalian serum and that the SaeRS two-component system is required for functional FnBPA activity in serum. Furthermore, serum-developed biofilms deficient in FnBPA were more susceptible to macrophage invasion, and in a model of biofilm-associated implant infection, we found that FnBPA is crucial for the establishment of infection. Together, these findings show that FnBPA plays an important role in physical biofilm development and represents a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of device-associated infections.