EXPRESSION ANALYSIS OF THE sua GENE IN BIOFILM Streptococus uberis STRAINS

MOLIVA, MELINA V.; MERKIS CECILIA I; PIANZZOLA MARÍA JULIA; MARÍA INÉS SIRI; REINOSO, ELINA B.

Cordoba

Congreso; LII Reunión Anual Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2016

Bovine mastitis is a disease that causes great economic losses. Streptococcus uberisis the main environmental pathogen. It has several virulence factors and the ability to form biofilms has been linked to numerous genes, including the ability to attach to a host?s cell surface through the adhesion molecule SUAM, which contributes to infection persistence. Previously, we determined that theS. uberisstrains isolated from the central dairy region yieldedsuagene and were biofilm producers. The aim of the present work was to investigate the expression ofsua gene in anS. uberisstrain at different times. Additionally, biofilms were imaged by scanning electron microscopy. qRT-PCR was normalized togapdhgene. Changes in transcriptional expression between planktonic and biofilm cells at 24, 48 and 72 hs were calculated by the comparative threshold cycle 2-ΔΔCT method and plotted as the fold change in mRNA expression levels. The results indicated that the biofilm producer strain shown a significant increase insuaexpression (>2.5 fold) at 48 hs and a decrease at 72 hs. Microscopy images showed the integration of the structure and composition of the biofilm as multicellular aggregates and potential waterways that flow through the substrate, suggesting a change in the cell organization at 72 hs. The results contribute to a better understanding of biofilm inS. uberisstrains.