A novel putative enterococcal pathogenicity island linked to the esp virulence gene of Enterococcus faecium and associated with epidemicity

被引:149
作者
Leavis, H
Top, J
Shankar, N
Borgen, K
Bonten, M
van Embden, J
Willems, RJL
机构
[1] Univ Utrecht, Med Ctr, Eijkman Winkler Inst Microbiol Infect Dis & Infla, NL-3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
[2] Univ Utrecht, Med Ctr, Dept Internal Med, Div Acute Internal Med & Infect Dis, NL-3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
[3] Natl Inst Publ Hlth & Environm, Diagnost Lab Infect Dis & Perinatal Screening, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, Netherlands
[4] Natl Inst Publ Hlth & Environm, Lab Vaccine Preventable Dis, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, Netherlands
[5] Univ Oklahoma, Hlth Sci Ctr, Dept Pharmaceut Sci, Oklahoma City, OK 73190 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1128/JB.186.3.672-682.2004
中图分类号
Q93 [微生物学];
学科分类号
071005 ; 100705 ;
摘要
Enterococcus faecalis harbors a virulence-associated surface protein encoded by the esp gene. This gene has been shown to be part of a 150-kb putative pathogenicity island. A gene similar to esp has recently been found in Enterococcus faecium isolates recovered from hospitalized patients. In the present study we analyzed the polymorphism in the esp gene of E. faecium, and we investigated the association of esp with neighboring chromosomal genes. The esp gene showed considerable sequence heterogeneity in the regions encoding the nonrepeat N- and C-terminal domains of the Esp protein as well as differences in the number of repeats. DNA sequencing of chromosomal regions flanking the esp gene of E. faecium revealed seven open reading frames, representing putative genes implicated in virulence, regulation of transcription, and antibiotic resistance. These flanking regions were invariably associated with the presence or absence of the esp gene in E. faecium, indicating that esp in E. faecium is part of a distinct genetic element. Because of the presence of virulence genes in this gene cluster, the lower G+C content relative to that of the genome, and the presence of esp in E. faecium isolates associated with nosocomial outbreaks and clinically documented infections, we conclude that this genetic element constitutes a putative pathogenicity island, the first one described in E. faecium. Except for the presence of esp and araC, this pathogenicity island is completely different from the esp-containing pathogenicity island previously disclosed in E. faecalis.
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页码:672 / 682
页数:11
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