Project description:E. faecium is inherantly resistant to cephalosporins. Resistance is lost in Class A penicillin binding protein PbfF PonA mutants, but is reversible by pencillin exposure. E. faecium Affymetrix GeneChips were used to compare E. faecium expression properties of pbfF ponA mutant cells in the absence or presence of penicillin exposure. Significant differences were observed between the expression properties of mock and penicillin treated E. faecium CV571 (pbfF ponA double mutant) cells.
Project description:To understand the mechanism by which HLH-26 regulated protection against S. enterica infection after exposure to E. faecium, we used RNA sequencing to focus on transcriptional changes induced by E. faecium in hlh-26(ok1453) compared with wild-type animals.
Project description:The success of Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis evolving as multi-resistant nosocomial pathogens is associated with their ability to acquire and share adaptive traits, including mobile genetic elements (MGE) encoding antimicrobial resistance. Here, we define the mobilome in representative successful hospital associated genetic lineages, E. faecium ST17 (n=10) and ST78 (n=10), E. faecalis ST6 (n=10) and ST40 (n=10) using DNA microarray analyses. The hybridization patterns of 272 targets representing plasmid backbones (n=85), transposable elements (n=85), resistance determinants (n=67), prophages (n=29), and CRISPR-cas sequences (n=6) separated the strains according to species, and for E. faecalis also according to STs. Although plasmids belonging to the RCR-, Rep_3-, RepA_N- and Inc18-families were well represented with no significant differences in prevalence, the presence of specific replicon classes differed highly between the species; E. faecium was dominated by rep17/pRUM, rep2/pRE25, rep14/EFNP1 and rep20/pLG1 and E. faecalis by rep9/pCF10, rep2/pRE25 and rep7. Tn916-elements conferring tetracycline resistance (tetM) were found in all E. faecalis strains, but only in two E. faecium strains. A significant higher prevalence of IS256-, IS3-, ISL3-, IS200/IS605-, IS110-, IS982-, and IS4-transposases were detected in E. faecium, and of IS110-, IS982- and IS1182-transposases in E. faecalis ST6 compared to ST40. Notably, the transposases of IS981, ISEfm1 and IS1678 which have only been reported in few enterococcal isolates, were well represented in the E. faecium strains. E. faecalis ST40 strains harboured possible functional CRISPR-Cas systems, and still resistance and prophage sequences were generally well represented. Gene targets defined as the enterococcal mobilome, including plasmids, IS elements and transposons, resistance determinants, prophage sequences and CRISPR-Cas systems were highly prevalent, underlining their potential importance in the evolution of hospital associated STs. An association between axe-txe to the RepA_N-family and ω-ε-ζ to the Inc18-family, implicates the contribution of TA-systems in stable plasmid maintenance carrying virulence and resistance determinants in enterococci. The concurrent presence of defined MGE and their associated resistance markers was generally confirmed and illustrates the importance of horizontal gene transfer in the development of multidrug resistant enterococci.
Project description:Enterococcus faecium has emerged as a major opportunistic pathogen for two decades, with the spread of hospital-adapted multidrug-resistant clones. Members of the intestinal microbiota, they are subjected to numerous bacterial stresses, including antibiotics at subinhibitory concentrations (SICs). Since fluoroquinolones are extensively prescribed, SICs are very likely to occur in vivo with potential effects on bacterial metabolism with subsequent modulation of opportunistic traits. The aim of the study was to evaluate globally the impact of subinhibitory concentrations (SICs) of ciprofloxacin on antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity of E. faecium. Transcriptomic analysis was performed by RNA-seq (HiSeq 2500, Illumina) using the vanB-positive reference strain E. faecium Aus0004 in the absence or presence of ciprofloxacin SIC (0.38 mg/L, i.e. MIC 1/8). Several genetic and phenotypic tests were used for validation. In the presence of ciprofloxacin SIC, 196 genes were significantly induced whereas 286 were significantly repressed, meaning that 16.8% of the E. faecium genome was altered. Amongst upregulated genes, EFAU004_02294 (fold change of 14.3) encoded a protein (EfmQnr) homologue of Qnr proteins involved in quinolone resistance in Gram-negative bacilli. Its implication in intrinsic and adaptive FQ resistance in E. faecium was experimentally ascertained. Moreover, EFAU004_02292 coding for the collagen adhesin Acm was also induced by SIC of ciprofloxacin (fold change of 8.2), and higher adhesion capabilities were demonstrated phenotypically. Both Efmqnr and Acm determinants may play an important role in the transition from a commensal to a pathogenic state of E. faecium that resides in the gut of patients receiving a fluoroquinolone therapy.
Project description:Enterococcus faecium is an important opportunistic pathogen emerging in hospitals worldwide. We identified a new MarR family global regulator in E. faecium, named AsrR (antibiotic and stress response regulator). We phenotipically characterized key role for AsrR in E. faecium pathogenicity. The aim of the microarray-based experiments was to investigate the AsrR regulon in E. faecium. We constructed a mutant strain deleted for the asrR gene, we complemented the mutant and, finally, we observed genes expression in these strains in comparison with the wild-type strain. (The parental HM1070 was used to delete the asrR gene and to obtain the mutant strain. Then, the mutant strain was used to restore the asrR gene and to obtain the complemented strain.) This approach will allow us to identify the genes regulated by AsR to clarify its role in E. faecium.
Project description:This is the first report of a bacteriocin being produced by lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356. For protein identification, the ~8-kDa peptide band was removed from the acrylamide gel and digested in-gel by trypsin, and the resulting peptide fragments were extracted and analyzed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The MS data were processed using Thermo Proteome Discoverer software (v2.2) with the SEQUEST search engine. Three peptides, VAHCASQIGR (amino acids 23-32), GSAACVSYLTR (amino acids 69-79), GSAACVSYLTRHRHH (amino acids 69-83) were identified as tryptic fragments on the basis of LC-MS/MS.This is the first report of a bacteriocin being produced by lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356. For protein identification, the ~8-kDa peptide band was removed from the acrylamide gel and digested in-gel by trypsin, and the resulting peptide fragments were extracted and analyzed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The MS data were processed using Thermo Proteome Discoverer software (v2.2) with the SEQUEST search engine. Three peptides, VAHCASQIGR (amino acids 23-32), GSAACVSYLTR (amino acids 69-79), GSAACVSYLTRHRHH (amino acids 69-83) were identified as tryptic fragments on the basis of LC-MS/MS.