Detection of virulence factors in high-level gentamicin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates from a Tunisian hospital

2007 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Klibi ◽  
K. Ben Slama ◽  
Y. Sáenz ◽  
A. Masmoudi ◽  
S. Zanetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Enterococcus Faecium ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Virulence Gene ◽  
Gelatinase Activity ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
High Level

Phenotypic and genotypic determination of virulence factors were carried out in 46 high-level gentamicin-resistant (HLGR) clinical Enterococcus faecalis (n = 34) and Enterococcus faecium (n = 12) isolates recovered from different patients in La Rabta Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia, between 2000 and 2003 (all these isolates harboured the aac(6′)–aph(2″) gene). The genes encoding virulence factors (agg, gelE, ace, cylLLS, esp, cpd, and fsrB) were analysed by PCR and sequencing. The production of gelatinase and hemolysin, the adherence to caco-2 and hep-2 cells, and the capacity for biofilm formation were investigated in all 46 HLGR enterococci. The percentages of E. faecalis isolates harbouring virulence genes were as follows: gelE, cpd, and ace (100%); fsrB (62%); agg (56%); cylLLS (41.2%); and esp (26.5%). The only virulence gene detected among the 12 HLGR E. faecium isolates was esp (58%). Gelatinase activity was detected in 22 of the 34 E. faecalis isolates (65%, most of them with the gelE+–fsrB+ genotype); the remaining 12 isolates were gelatinase-negative (with the gelE+–fsrB– genotype and the deletion of a 23.9 kb fragment of the fsr locus). Overall, 64% of the cylLLS-containing E. faecalis isolates showed β-hemolysis. A high proportion of our HLGR E. faecalis isolates, in contrast to E. faecium, showed moderate or strong biofilm formation or adherence to caco-2 and hep-2 cells.

scholarly journals Distribution of aminoglycoside resistance genes in recent clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus avium

2001 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. KOBAYASHI ◽  
MD. MAHBUB ALAM ◽  
Y. NISHIMOTO ◽  
S. URASAWA ◽  
N. UEHARA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Enterococcus Faecium ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Aminoglycoside Resistance ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Enterococcal Species ◽  
Aminoglycoside Resistance Genes ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
High Level

Aminoglycoside modifying enzymes (AMEs) are major factors which confer aminoglycoside resistance on bacteria. Distribution of genes encoding seven AMEs was investigated by multiplex PCR for 279 recent clinical isolates of enterococci derived from a university hospital in Japan. The aac(6′)-aph(2″), which is related to high level gentamicin resistance, was detected at higher frequency in Enterococcus faecalis (42·5 %) than in Enterococcus faecium (4·3 %). Almost half of E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates possessed ant(6)-Ia and aph(3′)-IIIa. The profile of AME gene(s) detected most frequently in individual strains of E. faecalis was aac(6′)-aph(2″)+ant(6)-Ia+aph(3′)-IIIa, and isolates with this profile showed high level resistance to both gentamicin and streptomycin. In contrast, AME gene profiles of aac(6′)-Ii+ant(6)-Ia+aph(3′)-IIIa, followed by aac(6′)-Ii alone, were predominant in E. faecium. Only one AME gene profile of ant(6)-Ia+aph(3′)-IIIa was found in Enterococcus avium. The ant(4′)-Ia and ant(9)-Ia, which have been known to be distributed mostly among Staphylococcus aureus strains, were detected in a few enterococcal strains. An AME gene aph(2″)-Ic was not detected in any isolates of the three enterococcal species. These findings indicated a variety of distribution profiles of AME genes among enterococci in our study site.

scholarly journals Characteristics of High-Level Aminoglycoside-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Bulk Tank Milk in Korea

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1724
Author(s):  
Hyo Jung Kang ◽  
Sunghyun Yoon ◽  
Koeun Kim ◽  
Young Ju Lee
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Bulk Tank Milk ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes ◽  
Bulk Tank ◽  
High Level

Enterococci, which are considered environmental mastitis-causing pathogens, have easily acquired aminoglycoside-resistant genes that encode various aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AME). Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the distribution of high-level aminoglycoside-resistant (HLAR) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) bacteria isolated from bulk tank milk in four dairy companies in Korea. Moreover, it analyzed the characteristics of their antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors. Among the 301 E. faecalis bacteria studied, 185 (61.5%) showed HLAR with no significant differences among the dairy companies. Furthermore, 129 (69.7%) of the 185 HLAR E. faecalis showed MDR without significant differences among companies. In contrast, HLAR E. faecalis from companies A, B, and C were significantly higher in resistance to the four classes than those in company D, which had the highest MDR ability against the three antimicrobial classes (p < 0.05). In addition, in the distribution of AME genes, 72 (38.9%) and 36 (19.5%) of the isolates carried both aac(6′)Ie-aph(2″)-la and ant(6)-Ia genes, and the ant (6)-Ia gene alone, respectively, with significant differences among the companies (p < 0.05). In the distribution of virulence genes, the ace (99.5%), efa A (98.9%), and cad 1 (98.4%) genes were significantly prevalent (p < 0.05). Thus, our results support that an advanced management program by companies is required to minimize the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors.

scholarly journals Relationship between Vancomycin MIC and Virulence Gene Expression in Clonal Complexes of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Left-Sided Endocarditis

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Pericàs ◽  
Carlos Cervera ◽  
Cristina Garcia-de-la-Mària ◽  
Batu K. Sharma-Kuinkel ◽  
Rachelle Gonzales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Virulence Gene ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Virulence Gene Expression ◽  
Vancomycin Mics ◽  
Genes Encoding

ABSTRACT Higher vancomycin MICs have been associated with more complicated courses and higher mortality rates in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and infective endocarditis (IE). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the strains belonging to the cohort of 93 patients from a previously published study in which patients with strains with vancomycin MICs of ≥1.5 μg/ml presented higher mortality rates and systemic emboli than patients with strains with vancomycin MICs of <1.5 μg/ml had specific patterns of virulence factors, clonal complex (CC) types, or the ability to form biofilms. Vancomycin MICs were determined by Etest, and the isolates underwent spa typing to infer the CC, biofilm studies, a thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal assay, and multiplex PCR for the presence of virulence genes. We found no differences in genes encoding adhesins, toxins, or other putative virulence genes according to the vancomycin MIC group. CC30, CC34, and CC45 represented nearly half of the isolates, and there was no association with the vancomycin MIC. agr subgroups I and III predominated, with no association with the vancomycin MIC. Isolates with higher vancomycin MICs exhibited a poorer ability to form biofilms with and without the presence of vancomycin (2.03 versus 2.48 [P < 0.001], respectively, for isolates with higher vancomycin MICs and 2.60 versus 2.87 [P = 0.022], respectively, for isolates with lower vancomycin MICs). In the multivariable analysis, efb and V8 were risk factors for major emboli (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 7.5 and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2 to 46.6 for efb, and aOR = 3.9 and 95% CI = 1.1 to 14.1 for V8), whereas no genotypic predictors of in-hospital mortality were found. No clear associations between genes encoding virulence factors, agr type, clonal complexes, mortality, and major embolic events according to vancomycin MIC group were found.

Relation of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium Isolates from Foods and Clinical Specimens

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 2100-2104 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. TEMPLER ◽  
P. ROHNER ◽  
A. BAUMGARTNER
Keyword(s):  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Enterococcus Faecium ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Pfge Typing ◽  
Resistance Patterns ◽  
Small Clusters ◽  
Pfge Profiles

Clinical Enterococcus faecalis (n = 65) and Enterococcus faecium (n = 12) blood isolates from three Swiss hospitals were characterized with testing for resistance to antimicrobial agents, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and the occurrence of virulence factors. Phenotypic determination of resistance to antimicrobial agents resulted in 20% of E. faecalis isolates showing a triple resistance against chloramphenicol, tetracycline, erythromycin, and seven isolates (two E. faecalis and five E. faecium) exhibiting a multiresistance against five or more antimicrobials. One isolate each of E. faecalis and E. faecium showed vancomycin resistance. All isolates contained at least two of the nine tested virulence genes (agg, gelE, cyl, esp, efaAfs, efaAfm, cpd, cob, and ccf ). Phylogenetic analysis of the PFGE profiles identified several small clusters within E. faecalis isolates, one of which included isolates of all three hospitals. Fifty-six (73%) isolates occurred as unique, patient-specific clones. Several PFGE types were associated with shared features in their resistance patterns, indicating spread between and within wards. Finally, enterococci from this study and previous isolates from cheeses were examined by PFGE typing. The comparison of PFGE profiles from human and food isolates resulted in clusters of genetically strong related strains, which suggests high similarities of the enterococcal community composition of these two environments. A possible spread of the enterococcal isolates through the food supply cannot be excluded.

scholarly journals Virulence of Enterococcus faecalis dairy strains in an insect model: the role of fsrB and gelE

Microbiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 155 (11) ◽  
pp. 3564-3571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Gaspar ◽  
Neuza Teixeira ◽  
Lionel Rigottier-Gois ◽  
Paulo Marujo ◽  
Christina Nielsen-LeRoux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Enterococcus Faecium ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Deletion Mutants ◽  
Enterococcus Durans ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Negative Phenotype

Despite the existence of various virulence factors in the Enterococcus genus, enterococcal virulence is still a debated issue. A main consideration is the detection of the same virulence genes in strains isolated from nosocomial or community-acquired infections, and from food products. The goal of this study was to evaluate the roles of two well-characterized enterococcal virulence factors, Fsr and gelatinase, in the potential virulence of Enterococcus faecalis food strains. Virulence of unrelated Enterococcus isolates, including dairy strains carrying fsr and gelE operons, was compared in the Galleria mellonella insect model. E. faecalis dairy strains were able to kill larvae and were as virulent as strain OG1RF, one of the most widely used for virulence studies. In contrast, Enterococcus durans and Enterococcus faecium strains were avirulent or poorly virulent for G. mellonella. To evaluate the role of fsrB and gelE in virulence of E. faecalis dairy strains, both genes were deleted independently in two strains. The ΔfsrB and ΔgelE deletion mutants both produced a gelatinase-negative phenotype. Although both mutations significantly attenuated virulence in G. mellonella, the ΔfsrB strains were more strongly attenuated. These results agree with previous findings suggesting the involvement of fsrB in the control of other cell functions relevant to virulence. Our work demonstrates that the presence of functional fsrB, and to a lesser extent gelE, in dairy enterococci should be considered with caution.

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