Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens, MSB 2.112, University of Texas Medical School, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA.
We identify ef1090 (renamed ebpR) and show its importance for the transcriptional regulation of expression of the Enterococcus faecalis pilus operon, ebpABC. An ebpR deletion (DeltaebpR) mutant was found to have reduced ebpABC expression with loss of pilus production and a defect in primary adherence with, as a consequence, reduced biofilm formation.