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PMID: 14729692 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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

Journal of bacteriology ·Vol. 186 ·No. 3 ·2004-02-00 ·Pages 672-82

Leavis H, Top J, Shankar N, Borgen K, Bonten M, van Embden J, Willems RJ

Abstract

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.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Bacterial Proteins/chemistry,genetics Enterococcus faecium/genetics,pathogenicity Membrane Proteins/chemistry,genetics Molecular Sequence Data Multigene Family Muramidase/genetics Open Reading Frames Virulence
Chemicals
Bacterial Proteins Membrane Proteins enterococcal surface protein, esp Muramidase
Authors & Affiliations
7 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Leavis Helen
Diagnostic Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Top Janetta
Shankar Nathan
Borgen Katrine
Bonten Marc
van Embden Jan
Willems Rob J L
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of bacteriology
Abbr.
J Bacteriol
ISSN
0021-9193
DOI
10.1128/JB.186.3.672-682.2004
Published
2004-02-00
Pages
672-82
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
2985120R
PMCID
PMC321477
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.3.672-682.2004 PMC Full Text View journal details
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