Identification of the sigB Operon in Staphylococcus epidermidis : Construction and Characterization of a sigB Deletion Mutant

Abstract
The role of the alternative sigma factor ςB inStaphylococcus epidermidis was investigated by the construction, complementation, and characterization of asigB deletion mutant. Electrophoretic analyses confirmed a profound influence of ςB on the expression of exoproteins and cytoplasmic proteins. Detailed investigation revealed reduced lipase and enhanced protease activity in the ςB mutant. Furthermore, no significant influence of ςB on heterologous biofilm formation or on the activity of the global regulator agr was detected.