The prevalence of aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme and virulence genes among enterococci with high-level aminoglycoside resistance in Inner Mongolia, China

ABSTRACT This study highlights the prevalence of aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes and virulence determinants among clinical enterococci with high-level aminoglycoside resistance in Inner Mongolia, China. Screening for high-level aminoglycoside resistance against 117 enterococcal clinical isolates was performed using the agar-screening method. Out of the 117 enterococcal isolates, 46 were selected for further detection and determination of the distribution of aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme-encoding genes and virulence determinants using polymerase chain reaction -based methods. Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis were identified as the species of greatest clinical importance. The aac(6')-Ie-aph(2")-Ia and ant(6')-Ia genes were found to be the most common aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes among high-level gentamicin resistance and high-level streptomycin resistance isolates, respectively. Moreover, gelE was the most common virulence gene among high-level aminoglycoside resistance isolates. Compared to Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis harbored multiple virulence determinants. The results further indicated no correlation between aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme gene profiles and the distribution of virulence genes among the enterococcal isolates with high-level gentamicin resistance or high-level streptomycin resistance evaluated in our study.

Enterococos em amostras de alimentos e águas: avaliação da virulência e do desempenho como indicadores de higiene / Enterococci in samples of food and water: evaluation of their virulence markers and their suitability as hygiene indicators

Enterococcus spp. pertencem ao grupo das bactérias láticas e estão presentes em solos, águas, plantas, microbiota autóctone de vários alimentos e como membros da microbiota intestinal de humanos e animais. Esses microrganismos foram considerados por muito tempo como comensais, mas o aumento da severidade das infecções nosocomiais causadas por enterococos mutirresistentes a antimicrobianos e, a falta de conhecimento sobre seus fatores de virulência geram insegurança na utilização de cepas deste gênero na produção de alimentos como culturas fermentadoras e/ou probióticas. A diferença entre uma cepa de enterococos com potencial patogênico e outra aparentemente segura para uso em processamento de alimentos não é clara, e a probabilidade de que esta última adquira fatores de virulência merece investigação. O objetivo do presente projeto foi determinar características fenotípicas e genotípicas de Enterococcus spp. isolados de amostras de alimentos e águas correlacionando sua presença com indicadores clássicos de higiene e contaminação fecal. De 812 colônias indicativas do gênero enterococos obtidas a partir de 120 amostras de alimentos, 299 isolados (37%) foram presuntivamente caracterizados como Enterococcus spp. Após identificação por PCR, 139 (46,5%) E. faecium, 80 (26,8%) E. faecalis, 36 (12%) E. casseliflavus e 8 (2,7%) E. gallinarum. Produção de gelatinase foi detectada apenas em isolados de E. faecalis (60%). Um isolado de E. faecium (0,7%) e 31 isolados de E. faecalis (38,7%) apresentaram perfil ß-hemolítico. Produção de bacteriocina contra Lactobacillus sakei e/ou Listeria monocytogenes foi observada para 10% dos isolados de E. faecalis e 23% dos isolados de E. faecium. Hidrólise de sais biliares foi observada para 100% dos isolados de E. gallinarum, 86% E. casseliflavus, 65% E. faecalis e 62,6% de E. faecium. Alguns isolados de E. faecium apresentaram resistência à vancomicina, eritromicina e tetraciclina. Entre os isolados de E. faecalis não houve resistência à vancomicina, mas foi observada resistência à tetraciclina, eritromicina e alta concentração de gentamicina. Houve uma maior prevalência dos genes de virulência (esp, gel, ace, as, efaA e cylA) entre os isolados de E. faecalis quando comparado a E. faecium. Além disso, os isolados de E. faecalis, resistentes a antibióticos, mostraram forte adesão a células Caco-2 e capacidade de formação de biofilme em superfície abiótica. RAPD-PCR individualizou 14 cepas de E. faecium e 17 cepas de E. faecalis dentre os 52 isolados Enterococcus spp. resistentes a antibióticos. A variabilidade dos resultados impediu o estabelecimento de uma correlação entre a presença ou contagem de coliformes, E. coli e enterococos nas amostras analisadas. Os dados deste trabalho sobre marcadores fenotípicos e genotípicos de virulência, e a presença de cepas resistentes a antibióticos evidenciam a necessidade da avaliação cuidadosa de linhagens de enterococos para aplicações em alimentos

Enterococcus spp. belong to the group of lactic acid bacteria widely distributed in soil, plants, foods, animals and humans. In the past, these microorganisms were considered commensals but the increase of antibiotic-resistant enterococci and the lack of knowledge about their virulence markers, had raised concerns regarding the safety of using strains of this genus in the food production as fermentative or probiotic cultures. Besides this, literature data suggests the use of enterococci as sanitary indicator for foods. Differences between enterococci strains with pathogenic potential and an apparently safe ones is unclear and there is a concern about virulence markers transfer. The aim of this work was to determine phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Enterococcus spp. isolated from foods and water and also to correlate their presence with classical indicators of sanitary quality. Out of 812 presumptive enterococci colonies obtained from 120 food samples, 299 isolates (37%) were presuntively characterized as Enterococcus spp. Isolates were identified by PCR: 139 (46.5%) E. faecium, 80 (26.8%) E. faecalis, 36 (12.0%) E. casseliflavus and 8 (2.7%) E. gallinarum. Only E. faecalis isolates (60%) produced gelatinase. One E. faecium (0.7%) and 31 E. faecalis (38.7%) were ß-haemolytic. Bacteriocin activity against Lactobacillus sakei and/or Listeria monocytogenes was observed for 10% of the E. faecalis and for 23% of the E. faecium isolates. All E. gallinarum isolates, 86% of the E. casseliflavus, 65% of the E. faecalis and 62.6% of the E. faecium isolates showed bile salt hydrolysis activity. Some E. faecium isolates were resistant to vancomycin, erythromycin and tetracycline. Vancomycin resistance was absent among the E. faecalis but, resistance to tetracycline, erythromycin and highlevel gentamicin was observed. There was a higher prevalence of virulence genes (esp, gel, ace, as, efaA e cylA) among the E. faecalis isolates when compared to the E. faecium. Antibiotic resistant E. faecalis isolates strongly adhered to Caco-2 cells and formed biofilm on abiotic surface. Using RAPDPCR 14 E. faecium and 17 E. faecalis strains could be individualized from the 52 antibiotic resistant enterococci. It was not possible to correlate the presence of total coliforms, E. coli and Enterococcus spp. in the samples of food and water analysed due to results variability. Data obtained regarding phenotypic and genotypic virulence markers and the presence of antibiotic resistant enterococci raise the needs of a carefully evaluation of the Enterococcus spp. strains before future applications in foods

Cop-like operon: Structure and organization in species of the Lactobacillale order

Copper is an essential and toxic trace metal for bacteria and, therefore, must be tightly regulated in the cell. Enterococcus hirae is a broadly studied model for copper homeostasis. The intracellular copper levels in E. hirae are regulated by the cop operon, which is formed by four genes: copA and copB that encode ATPases for influx and efflux of copper, respectively; copZ that encodes a copper chaperone; and copY, a copper responsive repressor. Since the complete genome sequence for E. hirae is not available, it is possible that other genes may encode proteins involved in copper homeostasis. Here, we identified a cop-like operon in nine species of Lactobacillale order with a known genome sequence. All of them always encoded a CopY-like repressor and a copper ATPase. The alignment of the cop-like operon promoter region revealed two CopY binding sites, one of which was conserved in all strains, and the second was only present in species of Streptococcus genus and L. johnsonii. Additional proteins associated to copper metabolism, CutC and Cupredoxin, also were detected. This study allowed for the description of the structure and organization of the cop operon and discussion of a phylogenetic hypothesis based on the differences observed in this operon's organization and its regulation in Lactobacillale order.