Lack of fbe, the gene for a fibrinogen-binding protein from Staphylococcus epidermidis, reduces its adherence to fibrinogen coated surfaces.

The significance of Fbe, a fibrinogen-binding protein in Staphylococcus epidermidis, was investigated. A fbe mutant was constructed by allelic replacement, where a Gentamicin resistance gene replaced a portion of the A region of fbe. Adherence assay to immobilized fibrinogen on polyethylene surfaces and peripheral venous catheters from patients showed that the fibrinogen binding ability of the mutant was reduced compared to its parental strain. This shows that Fbe is a major factor involved in adherence of S. epidermidis to fibrinogen. No difference was found between the wild-type and mutant in their affinity to immobilized fibronectin.