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Sample records for enterococcus faecalis biofilm

  1. Influence of Streptococcus mutans on Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm Formation

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    Deng, Dong Mei; Hoogenkamp, Michel A.; Exterkate, Rob A. M.; Jiang, Lei Meng; van der Sluis, Lucas W. M.; ten Cate, Jacob M.; Crielaard, Wim

    Introduction: An important virulence factor of Enterococcus faecalis is its ability to form biofilms. Most studies on biofilm formation have been carried out by using E. faecalis monocultures. Given the polymicrobial nature of root canal infections, it is important to understand biofilm formation of

  2. The dynamics of biofilm overgrowth of Enterococcus faecalis

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    E. A. Synetar

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The nature of microorganisms can exist in two physiological forms that allow microbes to preserve livelihoods and continue their life cycle. The first is the population of planktonic forms of microorganisms which live freely in the environment with the developed systems of active and passive mobility, contributing to the rapid spread of a liquid medium. The second forms are those expressing specific mechanisms of adhesion, and able to aggregate on biogenic and abiogenic surfaces. Even in the deep sea vast number of species of bacteria live in their inherent horizons. Thus, the study of biofilms tube life support systems, diagnostic, laparoscopic devices during prolonged catheterization of the urinary system is of great practical, theoretical and biological significance in medicine and biology. For almost 20% of catheter-associated infections antibiotic therapy is uneffective, particularly through the formation of microbial biofilms on the surface of urinary catheters. We characterized the dynamics of biofilm growth of Enterococcus faecalis on fragments ofsilicone catheter. The study was conducted using bacteriological and electron microscopic techniques. Study of the dynamics of biofilm formation was performed using E. faecalis strain 49, which is isolated from the urine of persons who are not the patients of the urological department of resuscitation and intensive therapy. Using scanning electron microscopy we have established dynamics and phase attachment ofE. faecalis bacteria and subsequent overgrowth of silicone catheter surface. Aftercalculations, index of adhesion on the turbulent wall amounted to 0,49 microbial cells. That is, every other cell of the monolayer adhered on the catheter. Area of biofilm growth of E. faecalis after 24 hour incubation was equal to 51.5 μm2, in 48 hours it increased to 231.5 μm2. After 72 hours of incubation we recorded the increase in biofilm growth of E. faecalisto 1922,8 μm2. The results were obtained

  3. Chitosan-propolis nanoparticle formulation demonstrates anti-bacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms.

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    Teik Hwa Ong

    Full Text Available Propolis obtained from bee hives is a natural substance with antimicrobial properties. It is limited by its insolubility in aqueous solutions; hence ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Malaysian propolis were prepared. Both the extracts displayed antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties against Enterococcus faecalis, a common bacterium associated with hospital-acquired infections. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC analysis of propolis revealed the presence of flavonoids like kaempferol and pinocembrin. This study investigated the role of propolis developed into nanoparticles with chitosan for its antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties against E. faecalis. Bacteria that grow in a slimy layer of biofilm are resistant to penetration by antibacterial agents. The use of nanoparticles in medicine has received attention recently due to better bioavailability, enhanced penetrative capacity and improved efficacy. A chitosan-propolis nanoformulation was chosen based on ideal physicochemical properties such as particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, encapsulation efficiency and the rate of release of the active ingredients. This formulation inhibited E. faecalis biofilm formation and reduced the number of bacteria in the biofilm by ~90% at 200 μg/ml concentration. When tested on pre-formed biofilms, the formulation reduced bacterial number in the biofilm by ~40% and ~75% at 200 and 300 μg/ml, respectively. The formulation not only reduced bacterial numbers, but also physically disrupted the biofilm structure as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Treatment of biofilms with chitosan-propolis nanoparticles altered the expression of biofilm-associated genes in E. faecalis. The results of this study revealed that chitosan-propolis nanoformulation can be deemed as a potential anti-biofilm agent in resisting infections involving biofilm formation like chronic wounds and surgical site infections.

  4. Extracellular dextran and DNA affect the formation of Enterococcus faecalis biofilms and their susceptibility to 2% chlorhexidine.

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    Li, Weilan; Liu, Hongyan; Xu, Qiong

    2012-07-01

    Enterococcus faecalis is frequently recovered from root-filled teeth with refractory apical periodontitis. The ability of E. faecalis to form a matrix-encased biofilm contributes to its pathogenicity; however, the role of extracellular dextran and DNA in biofilm formation and its effect on the susceptibility of the biofilm to chlorhexidine remains poorly understood. E. faecalis biofilms were incubated on dentin blocks. The effect of a dextran-degrading enzyme (dextranase) and DNase I on the adhesion of E. faecalis to dentin was measured using the colony-forming unit (CFU) counting method. CFU assays and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to investigate the influence of dextranase and DNase I on the antimicrobial activity of 2% chlorhexidine. The CFU count assays indicated that the formation of biofilms by E. faecalis was reduced in cells treated with dextranase or DNase I compared with that in untreated cells (P biofilms with dextranase or DNase I effectively sensitized the biofilms to 2% chlorhexidine (P biofilms to 2% chlorhexidine. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Strawberry Extract’s Effects on Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis Biofilms in vitro

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    Armelia Sari Widyarman

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis are oral bacteria related to root canal infection and periodontal disease pathogenesis. Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa fruit are rich in vitamins and minerals, have antibacterial and antioxidant effects. Objective: This study investigated the inhibition effect of strawberry extract on monospecies and multispecies E. faecalis and P. gingivalis bacteria grown as biofilms in vitro. Methods: This study used E. faecalis ATCC 29212 and P. gingivalis ATCC 33277. It analyzed the effect of strawberry extract on bacteria biofilm formation using a biofilm assay on microplate wells. Five concentrations of strawberry extracts were used (100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, and 6.25%, and the inhibition effect was observed after a 1h, 3h, 6h, and 24h incubation period. Biofilms without the strawberry extract were used as the negative controls, and crystal violet and safranin (0.5%w/v were used to count the biofilm mass. The biofilms grown on microplates were counted using an ELISA reader at 450 nm after 200 mL of 90% ethanol was added to attract the absorbed stain. The strawberry extract inhibition effectiveness on the biofilm formation of each bacterium tested was analyzed using one-way Anova, where p<0.05 was defined as a significant difference. Result: The strawberry extract inhibited the tested monospecies and multispecies bacteria biofilm formation. The optimal strawberry extract concentration for the inhibition of either monospecies biofilms was 100%. However, the optimal incubation time for the strawberry extract to inhibit the multispecies biofilm formation was 24h, which was the study’s biofilm maturity phase. Conclusions: The 100% strawberry extract concentration inhibited the formation of both the monospecies and multispecies E. faecalis and P. gingivalis biofilms. Future studies are needed to evaluate the potential of strawberry extract as an alternative dental

  6. Subinhibitory concentrations of cell wall synthesis inhibitors promote biofilm formation of Enterococcus faecalis

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    Yu, Wen; Hallinen, Kelsey; Wood, Kevin

    Enterococcus faecalis are commonly associated with hospital acquired infections, because they readily form biofilms on instruments and medical devices. Biofilms are inherently more resistant to killing by antibiotics compared to planktonic bacteria, in part because of their heterogeneous spatial structure. Surprisingly, however, subminimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of some antibiotics can actually promote biofilm formation. Unfortunately, much is still unknown about how low drug doses affect the composition and spatial structure of the biofilm. In this work, we investigate the effects of sub-MICs of ampicillin on the formation of E. faecalis biofilms. First, we quantified biofilm mass using crystal violet staining in polystyrene microtiter plates. We found that total biofilm mass is increased over a narrow range of ampicillin concentrations before ultimately declining at higher concentrations. Second, we show that sub-MICs of ampicillin can increase mass of E. faecalis biofilms while simultaneously increasing extracellular DNA/RNA and changing total number of viable cells under confocal microscopy. Further, we use RNA-seq to identify genes differentially expressed under sub-MICs of ampicillin. Finally, we show a mathematical model to explain this phenomenon. This work was funded by The Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award and NSF CAREER 1553208 to KBW.

  7. Molecular Determinants of the Thickened Matrix in a Dual-Species Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm.

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    Lee, Keehoon; Lee, Kang-Mu; Kim, Donggeun; Yoon, Sang Sun

    2017-11-01

    Biofilms are microbial communities that inhabit various surfaces and are surrounded by extracellular matrices (ECMs). Clinical microbiologists have shown that the majority of chronic infections are caused by biofilms, following the introduction of the first biofilm infection model by J. W. Costerton and colleagues (J. Lam, R. Chan, K. Lam, and J. W. Costerton, Infect Immun 28:546-556, 1980). However, treatments for chronic biofilm infections are still limited to surgical removal of the infected sites. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis are two frequently identified bacterial species in biofilm infections; nevertheless, the interactions between these two species, especially during biofilm growth, are not clearly understood. In this study, we observed phenotypic changes in a dual-species biofilm of P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis , including a dramatic increase in biofilm matrix thickness. For clear elucidation of the spatial distribution of the dual-species biofilm, P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis were labeled with red and green fluorescence, respectively. E. faecalis was located at the lower part of the dual-species biofilm, while P. aeruginosa developed a structured biofilm on the upper part. Mutants with altered exopolysaccharide (EPS) productions were constructed in order to determine the molecular basis for the synergistic effect of the dual-species biofilm. Increased biofilm matrix thickness was associated with EPSs, not extracellular DNA. In particular, Pel and Psl contributed to interspecies and intraspecies interactions, respectively, in the dual-species P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis biofilm. Accordingly, targeting Pel and Psl might be an effective part of eradicating P. aeruginosa polymicrobial biofilms. IMPORTANCE Chronic infection is a serious problem in the medical field. Scientists have observed that chronic infections are closely associated with biofilms, and the vast majority of infection-causing biofilms are polymicrobial. Many studies

  8. AhrC and Eep Are Biofilm Infection-Associated Virulence Factors in Enterococcus faecalis

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    Guiton, Pascale S.; Barnes, Aaron M. T.; Manias, Dawn A.; Chuang-Smith, Olivia N.; Kohler, Petra L.; Spaulding, Adam R.; Hultgren, Scott J.; Schlievert, Patrick M.; Dunny, Gary M.

    2013-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis is part of the human intestinal microbiome and is a prominent cause of health care-associated infections. The pathogenesis of many E. faecalis infections, including endocarditis and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), is related to the ability of clinical isolates to form biofilms. To identify chromosomal genetic determinants responsible for E. faecalis biofilm-mediated infection, we used a rabbit model of endocarditis to test strains with transposon insertions or in-frame deletions in biofilm-associated loci: ahrC, argR, atlA, opuBC, pyrC, recN, and sepF. Only the ahrC mutant was significantly attenuated in endocarditis. We demonstrate that the transcriptional regulator AhrC and the protease Eep, which we showed previously to be an endocarditis virulence factor, are also required for full virulence in murine CAUTI. Therefore, AhrC and Eep can be classified as enterococcal biofilm-associated virulence factors. Loss of ahrC caused defects in early attachment and accumulation of biofilm biomass. Characterization of ahrC transcription revealed that the temporal expression of this locus observed in wild-type cells promotes initiation of early biofilm formation and the establishment of endocarditis. This is the first report of AhrC serving as a virulence factor in any bacterial species. PMID:23460519

  9. Comparing the Effectivities of Chitosan Citrate and Chitosan Acetate in Eradicating Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm

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    Uppalavanna Witedja

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Adequate biomechanical preparations, antibacterial irrigants, and intracanal medications to promote the elimination of bacteria and their products are required to succeed root canal treatment. Enterococcus faecalis with its biofilm is known as an important etiological agent in endodontic treatment failures. Chitosan, as a natural product, has an antibacterial activity and is considered less toxic to the periapical tissue than other irrigants. However, the use of this natural product needs to be examined to determine its effectiveness as a root canal irrigant in endodontic treatment; this can be done by comparing it with the most common endodontic irrigant (NaOCl 5.25% as a positive control. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the effectiveness between 1–3% chitosan acetate (CA and 1–3% chitosan citrate (CC against E. faecalis biofilm formation after treatment for 15, 30, and 60 minutes. Methods: The study was conducted using 12 groups, including 1–3% CA, 1–3% CC, and control groups. E. faecalis biofilms in 96-well plates were exposed to each sample for 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Subsequently, the biofilms were stained with crystal violet solution, and the optical density value was measured using a microtiter plate reader at a wavelength of 600nm. Results: CA and CC were effective in eradicating E. faecalis biofilm. However, the levels of effectiveness of CC and CA depended on the concentration and application time. Three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA showed a significant difference between the irrigants (F = 5.92; p<0.05 and three application times (F = 6.50; p< 0.05. The CA was effective in eradicating biofilm after 15 minutes of application, whereas the CC was more effective after 30 and 60 minutes of application. Conclusion: CC and CA are both effective in eradicating E. faecalis biofilm.

  10. Antibacterial efficacy of Mangifera indica L. kernel and Ocimum sanctum L. leaves against Enterococcus faecalis dentinal biofilm

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    Subbiya, Arunajatesan; Mahalakshmi, Krishnan; Pushpangadan, Sivan; Padmavathy, Kesavaram; Vivekanandan, Paramasivam; Sukumaran, Vridhachalam Ganapathy

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: The Enterococcus faecalis biofilm in the root canal makes it difficult to be eradicated by the conventional irrigants with no toxicity to the tissues. Hence, plant products with least side effects are explored for their use as irrigants in the root canal therapy. Aim: To evaluate and compare the antibacterial efficacy of Mangifera indica L. kernel (mango kernel) and Ocimum sanctum L. leaves (tulsi) extracts with conventional irrigants (5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 2% chlorhexidine) against E. faecalis dentinal biofilm. Materials and Methods: Agar diffusion and broth microdilution assay was performed with the herbal extracts and conventional irrigants (2% chlorhexidine and 5% NaOCl) against E. faecalis planktonic cells. The assay was extended onto 3 week E. faecalis dentinal biofilm. Results: Significant reduction of colony forming units (CFU)/mL was observed for the herbal groups and the antibacterial activity of the herbal groups was at par with 5% NaOCl. Conclusions: The antibacterial activity of these herbal extracts is found to be comparable with that of conventional irrigants both on the biofilm and planktonic counterparts. PMID:24082577

  11. Presence of virulence factors in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium susceptible and resistant to vancomycin

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    Carolina Baldisserotto Comerlato

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Despite the increasing importance of Enterococcus as opportunistic pathogens, their virulence factors are still poorly understood. This study determines the frequency of virulence factors in clinical and commensal Enterococcus isolates from inpatients in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Fifty Enterococcus isolates were analysed and the presence of the gelE, asa1 and esp genes was determined. Gelatinase activity and biofilm formation were also tested. The clonal relationships among the isolates were evaluated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The asa1, gelE and esp genes were identified in 38%, 60% and 76% of all isolates, respectively. The first two genes were more prevalent in Enterococcus faecalis than in Enterococcus faecium, as was biofilm formation, which was associated with gelE and asa1 genes, but not with the esp gene. The presence of gelE and the activity of gelatinase were not fully concordant. No relationship was observed among any virulence factors and specific subclones of E. faecalis or E. faecium resistant to vancomycin. In conclusion, E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates showed significantly different patterns of virulence determinants. Neither the source of isolation nor the clonal relationship or vancomycin resistance influenced their distribution.

  12. Sodium chloride and potassium sorbate: a synergistic combination against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms: an in vitro study

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    van der Waal, S.V.; Jiang, L.M.; de Soet, J.J.; van der Sluis, L.W.M.; Wesselink, P.R.; Crielaard, W.

    2012-01-01

    Incomplete disinfection of the root canal system is a major cause of post-treatment disease. This study aimed to investigate the disinfecting property of organic acid salts and sodium chloride (NaCl), in a double-hurdle strategy, on Enterococcus faecalis biofilms. First of all, the high-throughput

  13. Sodium chloride and potassium sorbate : a synergistic combination against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms: an in vitro study

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    van der Waal, Suzette V.; Jiang, Lei-Meng; de Soet, Johannes J.; van der Sluis, Lucas W. M.; Wesselink, Paul R.; Crielaard, Wim

    2012-01-01

    Incomplete disinfection of the root canal system is a major cause of post-treatment disease. This study aimed to investigate the disinfecting property of organic acid salts and sodium chloride (NaCl), in a double-hurdle strategy, on Enterococcus faecalis biofilms. First of all, the high-throughput

  14. Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in a multi-species biofilm with Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium and control through sanitation procedures.

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    da Silva Fernandes, Meg; Kabuki, Dirce Yorika; Kuaye, Arnaldo Yoshiteru

    2015-05-04

    The formation of mono-species biofilm (Listeria monocytogenes) and multi-species biofilms (Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis, and L. monocytogenes) was evaluated. In addition, the effectiveness of sanitation procedures for the control of the multi-species biofilm also was evaluated. The biofilms were grown on stainless steel coupons at various incubation temperatures (7, 25 and 39°C) and contact times (0, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days). In all tests, at 7°C, the microbial counts were below 0.4 log CFU/cm(2) and not characteristic of biofilms. In mono-species biofilm, the counts of L. monocytogenes after 8 days of contact were 4.1 and 2.8 log CFU/cm(2) at 25 and 39°C, respectively. In the multi-species biofilms, Enterococcus spp. were present at counts of 8 log CFU/cm(2) at 25 and 39°C after 8 days of contact. However, the L. monocytogenes in multi-species biofilms was significantly affected by the presence of Enterococcus spp. and by temperature. At 25°C, the growth of L. monocytogenes biofilms was favored in multi-species cultures, with counts above 6 log CFU/cm(2) after 8 days of contact. In contrast, at 39°C, a negative effect was observed for L. monocytogenes biofilm growth in mixed cultures, with a significant reduction in counts over time and values below 0.4 log CFU/cm(2) starting at day 4. Anionic tensioactive cleaning complemented with another procedure (acid cleaning, disinfection or acid cleaning+disinfection) eliminated the multi-species biofilms under all conditions tested (counts of all micro-organismsbiofilms under all tested conditions (counts of the all microorganisms biofilms under all the test conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. The synergistic effect of ultrasonic activation and irrigation on Enterococcus faecalis biofilm

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    Abeer A Al-Mahdi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this investigation was to compare the efficacy of passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI with either 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl or saline, with that of conventional syringe irrigation on intraradicular Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. Materials and Methods: Biofilms of E. faecalis were established over 21 days in 80 single roots that had undergone biomechanical preparation followed by gamma radiation. Biofilms were treated for 1 min with 2.5% NaOCl/PUI (Group 1, 2.5% NaOCl (Group 2, sterile saline/PUI (Group 3, and sterile saline (Group 4. The positive control (n = 4 was used to confirm the presence of biofilm before various treatments. Additional four samples that served as a negative control were used to confirm the sterility of the samples. Biofilm eradication was evaluated by Colony Forming Unit (CFU quantification and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Results: The median of CFUs of S1 was significantly higher than that of S2 in all experimental groups. SEM examination showed a significant difference between the positive control and the experimental groups (P < 0.001, with the highest score of biofilm in the positive control group followed by Group 4 and both groups were not statistically significant from each other (P = 0.067. Following various treatments, the highest scores of biofilm were observed in the coronal third and the least were in the apical third. Conclusions: PUI did not increase the effectiveness of NaOCl irrigation on biofilm removal, however, PUI enhanced biofilm disturbance when used with saline. The least mean score of remaining biofilm was in the apical third of all treatment groups compared to other thirds.

  16. Effect of sonic agitation, manual dynamic agitation on removal of Enterococcus faecalis biofilm

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    Rajshekhar Chatterjee

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare manual dynamic agitation with sonic agitation on removal of intra radicular Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis biofilm. Material and Methods: Extracted mandibular premolars for orthodontic purpose were sectioned at cervical level and divided into three groups (n = 30. The root canals were instrumented using Protaper rotary instruments up to apical file F4. Roots were sterilized and E. faecalis bacteria were incubated within their root canal space for four weeks. Confirmation of biofilm was done using scanning electron microscopy and Gram staining. All groups were irrigated with side vented needle by using three percent sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl for 60 seconds. Two experimental groups were agitated with manual dynamic agitation (with master gutta-percha cone and sonic agitation (EndoActivator. Remaining bacteria were collected using sterile paper point, which were incubated inside brain-heart infusion (BHI broth to check turbidity. The turbid broth was streaked on blood agar plate for colony counts. Result: Both experimental groups showed highly significant difference in their mean colony count when compared with control group; with P < 0.001. Conclusion: Passive sonic agitation with EndoActivator has proven to be the best irrigating system followed by manual dynamic agitation and conventional needle irrigation.

  17. Evaluation of the Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm-Associated Virulence Factors AhrC and Eep in Rat Foreign Body Osteomyelitis and In Vitro Biofilm-Associated Antimicrobial Resistance.

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    Kristi L Frank

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis can cause healthcare-associated biofilm infections, including those of orthopedic devices. Treatment of enterococcal prosthetic joint infection is difficult, in part, due to biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance. We previously showed that the E. faecalis OG1RF genes ahrC and eep are in vitro biofilm determinants and virulence factors in animal models of endocarditis and catheter-associated urinary tract infection. In this study, we evaluated the role of these genes in a rat acute foreign body osteomyelitis model and in in vitro biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance. Osteomyelitis was established for one week following the implantation of stainless steel orthopedic wires inoculated with E. faecalis strains OG1RF, ΩahrC, and ∆eep into the proximal tibiae of rats. The median bacterial loads recovered from bones and wires did not differ significantly between the strains at multiple inoculum concentrations. We hypothesize that factors present at the infection site that affect biofilm formation, such as the presence or absence of shear force, may account for the differences in attenuation in the various animal models we have used to study the ΩahrC and ∆eep strains. No differences among the three strains were observed in the planktonic and biofilm antimicrobial susceptibilities to ampicillin, vancomycin, daptomycin, linezolid, and tetracycline. These findings suggest that neither ahrC nor eep directly contribute to E. faecalis biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance. Notably, the experimental evidence that the biofilm attachment mutant ΩahrC displays biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance suggests that surface colonization alone is sufficient for E. faecalis cells to acquire the biofilm antimicrobial resistance phenotype.

  18. Antimicrobial activity of Chlorhexidine, Peracetic acid and Sodium hypochlorite/etidronate irrigant solutions against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms.

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    Arias-Moliz, M T; Ordinola-Zapata, R; Baca, P; Ruiz-Linares, M; García García, E; Hungaro Duarte, M A; Monteiro Bramante, C; Ferrer-Luque, C M

    2015-12-01

    To evaluate the antimicrobial effect of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite alone (NaOCl) and associated with 9% HEBP (NaOCl/HEBP), 2% peracetic acid (PAA) and 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), on the viability of Enterococcus faecalis biofilms attached to dentine. Biofilms of E. faecalis were grown on the surface of dentine blocks for 5 days and then exposed to the irrigating solutions for 3 min. Distilled water was used as the control. The total biovolume and the percentage of dead cells of the infected dentine were measured by means of confocal microscopy and the live/dead technique. Nonparametric tests were used to determine statistical differences (P < 0.05). NaOCl and the NaOCl/HEBP mixture were associated with a significantly greater percentage of dead cells, followed by PAA (P < 0.05). No significant antimicrobial effect of CHX was observed in comparison with the control group. Total biovolume decreased significantly in NaOCl, NaOCl/HEBP and PAA solutions in comparison with the CHX and control groups. NaOCl alone or associated with HEBP were the most effective irrigant solutions in dissolving and killing E. faecalis biofilms. © 2014 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Phage therapy against Enterococcus faecalis in dental root canals

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    Leron Khalifa

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Antibiotic resistance is an ever-growing problem faced by all major sectors of health care, including dentistry. Recurrent infections related to multidrug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE in hospitals are untreatable and question the effectiveness of notable drugs. Two major reasons for these recurrent infections are acquired antibiotic resistance genes and biofilm formation. None of the traditionally known effective techniques have been able to efficiently resolve these issues. Hence, development of a highly effective antibacterial practice has become inevitable. One example of a hard-to-eradicate pathogen in dentistry is Enterococcus faecalis, which is one of the most common threats observed in recurrent root canal treatment failures, of which the most problematic to treat are its biofilm-forming VRE strains. An effective response against such infections could be the use of bacteriophages (phages. Phage therapy was found to be highly effective against biofilm and multidrug-resistant bacteria and has other advantages like ease of isolation and possibilities for genetic manipulations. The potential of phage therapy in dentistry, in particular against E. faecalis biofilms in root canals, is almost unexplored. Here we review the efforts to develop phage therapy against biofilms. We also focus on the phages isolated against E. faecalis and discuss the possibility of using phages against E. faecalis biofilm in root canals.

  20. Evaluation of Antimicrobial and Antifungal efficacy of Chitosan as endodontic irrigant against Enterococcus Faecalis and Candida Albicans Biofilm formed on tooth substrate.

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    Yadav, Pankaj; Chaudhary, Sarika; Saxena, Rajendra K; Talwar, Sangeeta; Yadav, Sudha

    2017-03-01

    Bacterial biofilms formed on the root canal wall are often difficult to remove. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effect and antibacterial efficacy of chitosan when used as root canal irrigant against E. Faecalis and Candida albicans biofilm formed on tooth substrate. The present study evaluated antibacterial effect of 0.25% Chitosan, 0.5% Chitosan, 2% chlorhexidine and 3% sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida Albicans . Agar-well diffusion methods, minimal inhibitory concentration tests and biofilm susceptibility assays were used to determine antibacterial activity. Teeth specimens were sectioned to obtain a standardized tooth length of 12mm. Specimens were inoculated with 10 mL of the freshly prepared E. Faecalis suspension and Candida albicans for 4 weeks. The specimens were then instrumented with ProTaper rotary files F3 size. After irrigation with test solution, three sterile paper points were placed into one canal, left for 60 s and transferred to a test tube containing 1 mL of reduced transport fluid. The number of CFU in 1 mL was determined. 3-week biofilm qualitative assay showed complete inhibition of bacterial growth with 3% Sodium hypochlorite, 2% Chlorhexidine and Chitosan except saline, which showed presence of bacterial growth. Significant reduction of colony forming units (CFU)/mL was observed for the chitosan groups and the antibacterial activity of the chitosan groups was at par with 3% NaOCl and 2% Chlorhexidine. It was observed that the chitosan showed no cytotoxicity at 3mg/ml and 10% cytotoxicity at 6mg/ml. The use of chitosan as a root canal irrigant might be an alternative considering the various undesirable properties of NaOCl and chlorhexidine. Key words: Biofilm, Candida albicans, Chitosan, Cytotoxicity, Enterococcus faecalis.

  1. Effectiveness of EDTA and Modified Salt Solution to Detach and Kill Cells from Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm.

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    de Almeida, Josiane; Hoogenkamp, Michel; Felippe, Wilson T; Crielaard, Wim; van der Waal, Suzette V

    2016-02-01

    Disruption of the matrix of endodontic biofilms will aid in their removal from a root canal. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of EDTA and a modified salt solution (MSS) to detach bacteria from biofilms. Forty-eight-hour-old Enterococcus faecalis biofilms were grown on glass coverslips and then treated for 1 hour by immersion in 17% EDTA or MSS. Phosphate-buffered saline served as a negative control. Then, residual biofilm cells on the substrate and the detached cells in the supernatant were collected. Viability was verified by the colony-forming unit (CFU) counting method. Propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment in conjunction with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was also performed to detect the presence of E. faecalis 16S ribonucleic RNA genes. Data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey or Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests. The Pearson R test evaluated the correlation between results from CFU and PMA (α = 5%). qPCR showed that EDTA detached 99% of biofilm cells, and MSS detached 94% of biofilm cells (both P < .001). In contrast to EDTA, MSS was highly antimicrobial. The treatment promoted an ample log 7 reduction of the attached cells (P < .001), and almost no live cells were detected in the supernatant (P < .001). Positive correlations between CFU and qPCR with PMA were observed (r = 0.959 and r = 0.729). EDTA detached cells in biofilms with a minor antimicrobial effect. Besides a great antimicrobial effect, MSS also detached biofilm cells. These dispersals of biofilms give insights into new endodontic biofilm removal strategies. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of Myrcia ovata Cambess. essential oil on planktonic growth of gastrointestinal microorganisms and biofilm formation of Enterococcus faecalis

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    Cinthya S. Cândido

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The essential oil from the leaves of Myrcia ovata Cambess., commonly used in Brazil for the treatment of gastric illnesses, was screened for antimicrobial activity and action in the formation of microbial biofilms by Enterococcus faecalis. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation using a clevenger-type system. Its chemical composition was analyzed using GC and GC-MS. Both MIC and MBC of the essential oil were determined by broth microdilution techniques and agar dilution method. The essential oil showed antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella choleraesuis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Candida parapsilosis. The results showed that the essential oil of M. ovata Cambess. was effective against the formation of biofilm by E. faecalis when compared with the control. Four volatile compounds, representing 92.1 % of the oil, were identified and geranial was the major component (50.4 %. At the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from leaves of M. ovata.

  3. The effects of hyperosmosis or high pH on a dual-species biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa : an in vitro study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Waal, S. V.; van der Sluis, L. W. M.; Ozok, A. R.; Exterkate, R. A. M.; van Marle, J.; Wesselink, P. R.; de Soet, J. J.

    2011-01-01

    van der Waal SV, van der Sluis LWM, Ozok AR, Exterkate RAM, van Marle J, Wesselink PR, de Soet JJ. The effects of hyperosmosis or high pH on a dual-species biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: an in vitro study. International Endodontic Journal, 44, 11101117, 2011. Aim To

  4. Whole transcriptome analysis reveals potential novel mechanisms of low-level linezolid resistance in Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hua, Ruoyi; Xia, Yun; Wu, Wenyao; Yan, Jia; Yang, Mi

    2018-03-20

    Linezolid is an oxazolidinone antibiotic commonly used to treat serious infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. Recently, low-level linezolid resistant Enterococcus faecalis strains have emerged worldwide, but the resistant mechanisms remain undefined. Whole-transcriptome profiling was performed on an E. faecalis strain P10748 with low-level linezolid resistance in comparison with a linezolid-susceptible strain 3138 and the standard control strain ATCC29212. The functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were predicted, with some DEGs potentially involved in drug resistance were validated by PCR and quantitative PCR (qPCR). RNA-Seq on three E. faecalis strains generated 1920 unigenes, with 98% of them assigned to various function groups. A total of 150 DEGs were identified in the linezolid resistant strain P10748 compared to the linezolid susceptible strains 3138 and ATCC29212. Functional analysis indicated a significant transcriptomic shift to membrane transportation and biofilm formation in strain P10748, with three significantly up-regulated DEGs predicted to be associated with drug resistance through active efflux pumps and biofilm formation. The existence of these three DEGs was further confirmed by PCR and qPCR. The significant upregulation of genes associated with efflux pumps and biofilm formation in the linezolid resistant strain suggests their roles in low-level resistance to linezolid in E. faecalis. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Anders; Bruun, Niels Eske

    2013-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (IE) is a disease of increasing importance, with more patients infected, increasing frequency of health-care associated infections and increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistances. The typical clinical presentation is a subacute course with fever...... or ceftriaxone. E. faecalis infective endocarditis continues to be a very serious disease with considerable percentages of high-level gentamicin resistant strains and in-hospital mortality around 20%. Strategies to prevent E. faecalis IE, improve diagnostics, optimize treatment and reduce morbidity...

  6. Effect of Er:YAG laser-activated irrigation solution on Enterococcus Faecalis biofilm in an ex-vivo root canal model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahar-Helft, Sharonit; Stabholtz, Adam; Moshonov, Joshua; Gutkin, Vitaly; Redenski, Idan; Steinberg, Doron

    2013-07-01

    Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate mineral content and surface morphology of root canals coated with Enterococcus faecalis biofilm after treatment with several endodontic irrigation solutions, with and without Er:YAG laser-activated irrigation (LAI). LAI has been introduced as a powerful method for root canal irrigation resulting in smear-layer removal from the root canal wall. Distal and palatal roots from 60 freshly extracted human molars were used in this study. The coronal of each tooth was removed. Roots were split longitudinally and placed in an ultrasonic bath to remove the smear layer, creating conditions for the formation of E. faecalis biofilm. After incubation, the two halves were reassembled in impression material to simulate clinical conditions. Specimens were divided into two main groups: roots rinsed with irrigation solutions and roots subjected to laser irradiation combined with irrigation solutions. Solutions tested were 2% chlorhexidine and 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and saline. Surface morphology: 17% EDTA irrigant solution combined with Er:YAG laser showed the best results for removing bacteria from the root canal walls. Chemical analysis: all samples treated with combined laser irradiation and irrigation solution had low surface levels of Ca compared with samples treated with irrigation alone. The Ca/P ratio was highest in the laser-EDTA group. Overall, mineral changes caused by laser with irrigation solutions were minimal, and statistically nonsignificant. In vitro irrigation solutions, combined with Er:YAG laser irradiation, were effective in removing E. faecalis biofilm from root canal walls. Irrigation solutions without laser irradiation were less effective, leaving a layer of biofilm on the dentin surface.

  7. Effects of Diode Laser, Gaseous Ozone, and Medical Dressings on Enterococcus faecalis Biofilms in the Root Canal Ex Vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerstin Bitter

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective was to compare the antibacterial effects of adjunctive disinfection using diode laser and gaseous ozone compared to the medical dressings calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH2 and chlorhexidine gel (CHX-Gel on Enterococcus faecalis biofilms in human root canals ex vivo. Root canals of 180 human extracted teeth were infected by E. faecalis and divided into 3 main groups (G: G1, control; G2, instrumentation and irrigation using 0.9% NaCl; G3, instrumentation and irrigation using 1% NaOCl. In each main group, the following treatments were applied: gaseous ozone, diode laser, and medical dressings of Ca(OH2 or CHX-Gel for 7 days (n=15. Reduction of colony forming units (CFUs inside the root canal of planktons and frequencies of adherent bacteria after treatment were calculated. Bacterial reduction was significantly affected by the irrigation protocol (p0.05; chi-square test. Instrumentation and irrigation using NaOCl combined with ozone or laser application resulted in comparable bacterial reduction on E. faecalis to the application of medical dressings.

  8. Relevance of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats of Enterococcus faecalis strains isolated from retreatment root canals on periapical lesions, resistance to irrigants and biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Zhongchun; Du, Yu; Ling, Junqi; Huang, Lijia; Ma, Jinglei

    2017-12-01

    A high prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ) is observed in teeth with root canal treatment failures. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are widely distributed in prokaryotes that have adaptive immune systems against mobile elements, including pathogenic genes. The present study investigated the relevance of the CRISPR in E. faecalis strains isolated from retreated root canals on biofilms, periapical lesions and drug resistance. A total of 20 E. faecalis strains were extracted from the root canals of teeth referred for root canal retreatment. CRISPR-Cas loci were identified by two pairs of relevant primers and polymerase chain reaction. The susceptibility of the 20 isolated strains to intracanal irrigants was evaluated by 1- and 5-minute challenges with a mixture of a tetracycline isomer, an acid and a detergent (MTAD), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The microtiter plate assay and crystal violet staining were used to compare the biofilm formation of the E. faecalis isolate strains. Out of the 20 E. faecalis isolate strains, 5 strains that lacked CRISPR-cas determinants exhibited significant periapical lesions. Among the 15 strains containing CRISPR-cas determinants, 8 were isolated from root canals with inadequate fillings and 7 were isolated from root canals without any fillings. The five strains lacking CRISPR-cas loci were observed to be more resistant to MTAD and 2% CHX than the 15 strains that had CRISPR-cas loci. All of the strains exhibited the same susceptibility to 5.25% NaOCl. Furthermore, the 5 strains lacking CRISPR-cas determinants generated more biofilm than the other 15 strains. Thus, the results of the present study suggested that E. faecalis root canal isolates lacking CRISPR-cas exhibit higher resistance to intracanal irrigants, stronger biofilm formation and generate significant periapical lesions.

  9. Blue light-mediated inactivation of Enterococcus faecalis in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pileggi, Giorgio; Wataha, John C; Girard, Myriam; Grad, Iwona; Schrenzel, Jacques; Lange, Norbert; Bouillaguet, Serge

    2013-05-01

    In dentistry, residual infection remains a major cause of failure after endodontic treatment; many of these infections involve Enterococcus faecalis. In the current study, we explored the possibility that blue light activated photosensitizers could be used, in principle, to inactivate this microbe as an adjunct disinfection strategy for endodontic therapy. Three blue light absorbing photosensitizers, eosin-Y, rose bengal, and curcumin, were tested on E. faecalis grown in planktonic suspensions or biofilms. Photosensitizers were incubated for 30 min with bacteria then exposed to blue light (450-500 nm) for 240 s. Sodium hypochlorite (3%) was used as a control. After 48 h, the viability of E. faecalis was estimated by measuring colony-forming units post-exposure vs. untreated controls (CFU/mL). Blue light irradiation alone did not alter E. faecalis viability. For planktonic cultures, blue light activated eosin-Y (5 μM), rose bengal (1 μM), or curcumin (5 μM) significantly (pcurcumin of 100, 10, and 10 μM respectively, completely suppressed E. faecalis viability (p<0.05). Although the current results are limited to an in vitro model, they support further exploration of blue light activated antimicrobials as an adjunct therapy in endodontic treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Influence of irrigation regimens on the adherence of Enterococcus faecalis to root canal dentin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishen, Anil; Sum, Chee-Peng; Mathew, Shibi; Lim, Chwee-Teck

    2008-07-01

    Enterococcus faecalis is frequently associated with post-treatment endodontic infections. Because adherence of bacteria to a substrate is the earliest stage in biofilm formation, eliciting the factors that links adherence of this bacterium to dentin would help in understanding its association with treatment-failed root canals. This investigation aimed to study the effects of endodontic irrigants on the adherence of E. faecalis to dentin. The bacteria adherence assay was conducted by using fluorescence microscopy, and the adhesion force was measured by using atomic force microscopy. There were significant increases in adherence and adhesion force after irrigation of dentin with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), whereas sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) reduced it. With the use of chlorhexidine (CHX), the force of adhesion increased, but the adherence assay showed a reduction in the number of adhering bacteria. The irrigation regimen of EDTA, NaOCl, and CHX resulted in the least number of adhering E. faecalis cells. This study highlighted that chemicals that alter the physicochemical properties of dentin will influence the nature of adherence, adhesion force, and subsequent biofilm formation of E. faecalis to dentin.

  11. Efficacy of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma as an Antibacterial Agent Against Enterococcus Faecalis in Vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao Yingguang; Yang Ping; Lu Xinpei; Xiong Zilan; Ye Tao; Xiong Qing; Sun Ziyong

    2011-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is a microorganism that can survive extreme challenges in obturated root canals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma plume against E. faecalis in vitro. A non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet device which could generate a cold plasma plume carrying a peak current of 300 mA was used. The antibacterial efficacy of this device against E. faecalis and its biofilm under different conditions was detected. The antibacterial efficacy of the plasma against E. faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was also evaluated. After plasma treatment, the average diameter of inhibition zone on S. aureus and E. faecalis was 2.62±0.26 cm and 1.06±0.30 cm, respectively (P < 0.05). The diameter was increased with prolongation of the treatment duration. The diameters of inhibition zone of the sealed Petri dishes were larger than those of the uncovered Petri dishes. There was significant difference in colony-forming units between plasma group and control group on E. faecalis biofilm (P < 0.01). The transmission electron microscopy revealed that the ultrastructural changes cytoderm of E. faecalis were observed after treatment for 2 min. It is concluded that the non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma could serve as an effective adjunct to standard endodontic microbial treatment.

  12. Resistência antimicrobiana em Enterococcus faecalis e Enterococcus faecium isolados de carcaças de frango

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Claudia F. Borges de Campos

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar o isolamento e analisar o perfil de resistência antimicrobiana de Enterococcus de carcaças de frango resfriadas e congeladas comercializadas no Distrito Federal, detectando genes de resistência antimicrobiana e identificando as espécies Enterococcus faecalis e Enterococcus faecium por reação polimerase em cadeia. Foram analisadas 100 carcaças de frangos, das quais foram isoladas 50 cepas de Enterococcus spp., sendo 42% de E. faecalis e 2% de E. faecium. O teste de susceptibilidade antimicrobiana demonstrou que todas as cepas isoladas apresentaram resistência a pelo menos um antimicrobiano, dos quais 90,47% das cepas de E. faecalis, 100% das cepas de E. Faecium e 82,14% dos Enterococcus spp. apresentaram resistência à Tetraciclina; 80,95% das cepas de E. faecalis e 35,71% das cepas de Enterococcus spp. foram resistentes à Eritromicina; 39,28% dos Enterococcus spp. e 23,80% dos E. faecalis à Ciprofloxacina e 28,57% dos E. faecalis apresentaram resistência ao Cloranfenicol. Foram detectados os genes de resistência antimicrobiana erm(B, vanC-1, aph(3'-llla, ant(6-la, vanB, vanA, aac(6'-le-aph(2''-la, erm(A e tet(M - este último mais frequente. Estes resultados sugerem sérios problemas para a Saúde Pública, uma vez que esses microrganismos podem possuir a capacidade de transmitir genes de resistência antimicrobiana para outros microrganismos presentes na microbiota intestinal de humanos e animais, podendo inviabilizar o uso destas drogas para tratamentos clínicos.

  13. Activity of Daptomycin or Linezolid in Combination with Rifampin or Gentamicin against Biofilm-Forming Enterococcus faecalis or E. faecium in an In Vitro Pharmacodynamic Model Using Simulated Endocardial Vegetations and an In Vivo Survival Assay Using Galleria mellonella Larvae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luther, Megan K.; Arvanitis, Marios; Mylonakis, Eleftherios

    2014-01-01

    Enterococci are the third most frequent cause of infective endocarditis. A high-inoculum stationary-phase in vitro pharmacodynamic model with simulated endocardial vegetations was used to simulate the human pharmacokinetics of daptomycin at 6 or 10 mg/kg of body weight/day or linezolid at 600 mg every 12 h (q12h), alone or in combination with gentamicin at 1.3 mg/kg q12h or rifampin at 300 mg q8h or 900 mg q24h. Biofilm-forming, vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (vancomycin-resistant enterococcus [VRE]) strains were tested. At 24, 48, and 72 h, all daptomycin-containing regimens demonstrated significantly more activity (decline in CFU/g) than any linezolid-containing regimen against biofilm-forming E. faecalis. The addition of gentamicin to daptomycin (at 6 or 10 mg/kg) in the first 24 h significantly improved bactericidal activity. In contrast, the addition of rifampin delayed the bactericidal activity of daptomycin against E. faecalis, and the addition of rifampin antagonized the activities of all regimens against VRE at 24 h. Also, against VRE, the addition of gentamicin to linezolid at 72 h improved activity and was bactericidal. Rifampin significantly antagonized the activity of linezolid against VRE at 72 h. In in vivo Galleria mellonella survival assays, linezolid and daptomycin improved survival. Daptomycin at 10 mg/kg improved survival significantly over that with linezolid against E. faecalis. The addition of gentamicin improved the efficacy of daptomycin against E. faecalis and those of linezolid and daptomycin against VRE. We conclude that in enterococcal infection models, daptomycin has more activity than linezolid alone. Against biofilm-forming E. faecalis, the addition of gentamicin in the first 24 h causes the most rapid decline in CFU/g. Of interest, the addition of rifampin decreased the activity of daptomycin against both E. faecalis and VRE. PMID:24867993

  14. Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium Isolated from Poultry Flocks in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maasjost, J; Mühldorfer, K; Cortez de Jäckel S; Hafez, H M

    2015-03-01

    Between 2010 and 2011, 145 Enterococcus isolates (Enterococcus faecalis, n = 127; Enterococcus faecium, n = 18) were collected during routine bacteriologic diagnostics from broilers, layers, and fattening turkeys in Germany showing various clinical signs. The susceptibility to 24 antimicrobial agents was investigated by broth microdilution test to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). All E. faecalis isolates (n = 127) were susceptible to the beta-lactam antibiotics ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and penicillin. Corresponding MIC with 50% inhibition (MIC50) and MIC with 90% inhibition (MIC90) values of these antimicrobial agents were at the lower end of the test range (≤ 4 μg/ml). In addition, no vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were found. High resistance rates were identified in both Enterococcus species for lincomycin (72%-99%) and tetracycline (67%-82%). Half or more than half of Enterococcus isolates were resistant to gentamicin (54%-72%) and the macrolide antibiotics erythromycin (44%-61%) and tylosin-tartate (44%-56%). Enterococcus faecalis isolated from fattening turkeys showed the highest prevalence of antimicrobial resistance compared to other poultry production systems. Eighty-nine out of 145 Enterococcus isolates were resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes. Again, turkeys stood out with 42 (8 1%) multiresistant isolates. The most-frequent resistance patterns of E. faecalis were gentamicin, lincomycin, and tetracycline in all poultry production systems.

  15. Effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on Enterococcus faecalis biofilm in experimental primary and secondary endodontic infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tennert, Christian; Feldmann, Katharina; Haamann, Edwina; Al-Ahmad, Ali; Follo, Marie; Wrbas, Karl-Thomas; Hellwig, Elmar; Altenburger, Markus J

    2014-11-04

    To determine the antibacterial effect of photodynamic Therapy on Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) biofilms in experimentally infected human root canals in primary infections and endodontic retreatments. One hundred and sixty single-rooted extracted teeth with one root canal were prepared using ProTaper instruments. Seventy specimens were left without root canal filling and autoclaved. The root canals of another 70 specimens were filled with Thermafil and AH Plus and the root canal fillings were removed after 24 hours using ProTaper D files and plasma sterilized. The specimens were infected with a clinical isolate of E. faecalis for 72 hours. Samples were taken using sterile paper points to determine the presence of E. faecalis in the root canals. The specimens were randomly divided into groups according to their treatment with 20 teeth each and a control. In the PDT group the teeth were treated using PDT, consisting of the photosensitizer toluidine blue and the PDT light source at 635 nm. In the NaOCl (sodium hypochlorite) group the root canals were rinsed with 10 mL of 3% NaOCl. In the NaOCl-PDT group the root canals were rinsed with 10 mL of 3% of sodium hypochlorite and then treated with PDT. Samples were taken after treatments using sterile paper points. Additionally, remaining root canal filling material was recovered from the root canal walls. Survival fractions of the samples were calculated by counting colony-forming units. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the data to assess the effect of different treatment techniques. Antimicrobial treatment of root canals caused a significant reduction of bacterial load in all groups. NaOCl irrigation eliminated E. faecalis most effectively. PDT alone was less effective compared to NaOCl irrigation and the combination of NaOCl irrigation and PDT. CFU levels recovered from the filling material after NaOCl irrigation of the root canals were 10fold higher compared to PDT and the combination of Na

  16. Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Anders; Rasmussen, Rasmus V; Bundgaard, Henning

    2013-01-01

    Because of the nephrotoxic effects of aminoglycosides, the Danish guidelines on infective endocarditis were changed in January 2007, reducing gentamicin treatment in enterococcal infective endocarditis from 4 to 6 weeks to only 2 weeks. In this pilot study, we compare outcomes in patients...... with Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis treated in the years before and after endorsement of these new recommendations....

  17. Conservation of Ebp-Type Pilus Genes among Enterococci and Demonstration of Their Role in Adherence of Enterococcus faecalis to Human Platelets ▿ †

    OpenAIRE

    Nallapareddy, Sreedhar R.; Sillanpää, Jouko; Mitchell, Jennifer; Singh, Kavindra V.; Chowdhury, Shahreen A.; Weinstock, George M.; Sullam, Paul M.; Murray, Barbara E.

    2011-01-01

    Ebp are endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pili of Enterococcus faecalis that are also important in experimental urinary tract infections (UTIs). Our analyses, using available genomes, found that the ebp locus is unique to enterococci. In E. faecalis, the ebp locus is very highly conserved and only 1/473 E. faecalis isolates tested lacked ebpABC, while only 1.2% had the bee pilus locus. No other pilus-encoding operon was identified in 55 available genomes, indicating that the vast majority ...

  18. Wide distribution of virulence genes among Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis clinical isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soheili, Sara; Ghafourian, Sobhan; Sekawi, Zamberi; Neela, Vasanthakumari; Sadeghifard, Nourkhoda; Ramli, Ramliza; Hamat, Rukman Awang

    2014-01-01

    Enterococcus, a Gram-positive facultative anaerobic cocci belonging to the lactic acid bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes, is known to be able to resist a wide range of hostile conditions such as different pH levels, high concentration of NaCl (6.5%), and the extended temperatures between 5(°)C and 65(°)C. Despite being the third most common nosocomial pathogen, our understanding on its virulence factors is still poorly understood. The current study was aimed to determine the prevalence of different virulence genes in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. For this purpose, 79 clinical isolates of Malaysian enterococci were evaluated for the presence of virulence genes. pilB, fms8, efaAfm, and sgrA genes are prevalent in all clinical isolates. In conclusion, the pathogenicity of E. faecalis and E. faecium could be associated with different virulence factors and these genes are widely distributed among the enterococcal species.

  19. Wide Distribution of Virulence Genes among Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Isolates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Soheili

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus, a Gram-positive facultative anaerobic cocci belonging to the lactic acid bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes, is known to be able to resist a wide range of hostile conditions such as different pH levels, high concentration of NaCl (6.5%, and the extended temperatures between 5°C and 65°C. Despite being the third most common nosocomial pathogen, our understanding on its virulence factors is still poorly understood. The current study was aimed to determine the prevalence of different virulence genes in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. For this purpose, 79 clinical isolates of Malaysian enterococci were evaluated for the presence of virulence genes. pilB, fms8, efaAfm, and sgrA genes are prevalent in all clinical isolates. In conclusion, the pathogenicity of E. faecalis and E. faecium could be associated with different virulence factors and these genes are widely distributed among the enterococcal species.

  20. Repeated exposures to blue light-activated eosin Y enhance inactivation of E. faecalis biofilms, in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinic, Karlo; Manoil, Daniel; Filieri, Anna; Wataha, John C; Schrenzel, Jacques; Lange, Norbert; Bouillaguet, Serge

    2015-09-01

    In dentistry, antibacterial photodynamic therapy (a-PDT) has shown promising results for inactivating bacterial biofilms causing carious, endodontic and periodontal diseases. In the current study, we assessed the ability of eosin Y exposed to 3 irradiation protocols at inactivating Enterococcus faecalis biofilms, in vitro. E. faecalis biofilms formed on hydroxyapatite disks were incubated with eosin Y (10-80μM), then activated with blue light using different irradiation protocols. Biofilms exposed to continuous exposure were incubated for 40min before being light-activated for 960 s. For the intermittent exposure, biofilms were exposed 4 times to the light/photosensitizer combination (960 s total) without renewing the photosensitizer. For repeated a-PDT, the same light dose was delivered in a series of 4 irradiation periods separated by dark periods; fresh photosensitizer was added between each light irradiation. After treatment, bacteria were immediately labeled with LIVE/DEAD BacLight Bacterial Viability kit and viability was assessed by flow cytometry (FCM). Results were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison intervals (α=0.05). The viability of E. faecalis biofilms exposed to 10μM eosin Y, was significantly reduced compared to controls (light only-eosin Y only). After a second exposure to blue light-activated eosin Y, viability significantly decreased from 58% to 12% whereas 6.5% of the bacterial biofilm remained live after a third exposure (p<0.05). Only 3.5% of the bacterial population survived after the fourth exposure. The results of this study indicate that blue light-activated eosin Y can photoinactivate E. faecalis biofilms grown on hydroxyapatite disks. Also, repeated exposures to blue light-activated eosin Y were shown to significantly improve efficacy. Further studies seem warranted to optimize the antibacterial activity of blue light-activated eosin Y on major oral pathogens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All

  1. Serological diagnosis of experimental Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjerulf, A; Espersen, F; Gutschik, E

    1998-01-01

    A modified rat model of endocarditis with catheterization for 2 days was established in female Lewis rats using different inocula of Enterococcus faecalis (strain no. EF 19) in order to measure IgG antibodies in serum during the course of infection. Increasing the inocula intravenously resulted...

  2. Characterization of Multi-Drug Resistant Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Cephalic Recording Chambers in Research Macaques (Macaca spp.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woods, Stephanie E; Lieberman, Mia T; Lebreton, Francois; Trowel, Elise; de la Fuente-Núñez, César; Dzink-Fox, Joanne; Gilmore, Michael S; Fox, James G

    2017-01-01

    Nonhuman primates are commonly used for cognitive neuroscience research and often surgically implanted with cephalic recording chambers for electrophysiological recording. Aerobic bacterial cultures from 25 macaques identified 72 bacterial isolates, including 15 Enterococcus faecalis isolates. The E. faecalis isolates displayed multi-drug resistant phenotypes, with resistance to ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, bacitracin, and erythromycin, as well as high-level aminoglycoside resistance. Multi-locus sequence typing showed that most belonged to two E. faecalis sequence types (ST): ST 4 and ST 55. The genomes of three representative isolates were sequenced to identify genes encoding antimicrobial resistances and other traits. Antimicrobial resistance genes identified included aac(6')-aph(2"), aph(3')-III, str, ant(6)-Ia, tetM, tetS, tetL, ermB, bcrABR, cat, and dfrG, and polymorphisms in parC (S80I) and gyrA (S83I) were observed. These isolates also harbored virulence factors including the cytolysin toxin genes in ST 4 isolates, as well as multiple biofilm-associated genes (esp, agg, ace, SrtA, gelE, ebpABC), hyaluronidases (hylA, hylB), and other survival genes (ElrA, tpx). Crystal violet biofilm assays confirmed that ST 4 isolates produced more biofilm than ST 55 isolates. The abundance of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factor genes in the ST 4 isolates likely relates to the loss of CRISPR-cas. This macaque colony represents a unique model for studying E. faecalis infection associated with indwelling devices, and provides an opportunity to understand the basis of persistence of this pathogen in a healthcare setting.

  3. Characterization of Multi-Drug Resistant Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Cephalic Recording Chambers in Research Macaques (Macaca spp..

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie E Woods

    Full Text Available Nonhuman primates are commonly used for cognitive neuroscience research and often surgically implanted with cephalic recording chambers for electrophysiological recording. Aerobic bacterial cultures from 25 macaques identified 72 bacterial isolates, including 15 Enterococcus faecalis isolates. The E. faecalis isolates displayed multi-drug resistant phenotypes, with resistance to ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, bacitracin, and erythromycin, as well as high-level aminoglycoside resistance. Multi-locus sequence typing showed that most belonged to two E. faecalis sequence types (ST: ST 4 and ST 55. The genomes of three representative isolates were sequenced to identify genes encoding antimicrobial resistances and other traits. Antimicrobial resistance genes identified included aac(6'-aph(2", aph(3'-III, str, ant(6-Ia, tetM, tetS, tetL, ermB, bcrABR, cat, and dfrG, and polymorphisms in parC (S80I and gyrA (S83I were observed. These isolates also harbored virulence factors including the cytolysin toxin genes in ST 4 isolates, as well as multiple biofilm-associated genes (esp, agg, ace, SrtA, gelE, ebpABC, hyaluronidases (hylA, hylB, and other survival genes (ElrA, tpx. Crystal violet biofilm assays confirmed that ST 4 isolates produced more biofilm than ST 55 isolates. The abundance of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factor genes in the ST 4 isolates likely relates to the loss of CRISPR-cas. This macaque colony represents a unique model for studying E. faecalis infection associated with indwelling devices, and provides an opportunity to understand the basis of persistence of this pathogen in a healthcare setting.

  4. Investigating the mobilome in clinically important lineages of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mikalsen, Theresa; Pedersen, Torunn; Willems, Rob; Coque, Teresa M; Werner, Guido; Sadowy, Ewa; van Schaik, Willem; Jensen, Lars Bogø; Sundsfjord, Arnfinn; Hegstad, Kristin

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: 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 antimicrobial resistance genes encoded by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Here, we investigate this

  5. Investigating the mobilome in clinically important lineages of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikalsen, Theresa; Pedersen, Torunn; Willems, Rob

    2015-01-01

    Background: 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 antimicrobial resistance genes encoded by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Here, we investigate this mob...

  6. MTAD combined with endosonic irrigation as a new approach for the disinfection of Enterococcus faecalis biofilm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Lei

    2015-12-01

    Conclusion: Endoactivator could improve the synergistic antimicrobial action of 1.3% NaOCl and MTAD against E. faecalis biofilm and removal of the smear layer with less erosion of the dentin surface. The combination could be a safe and efficient irrigation regimen.

  7. Exploiting CRISPR-Cas to manipulate Enterococcus faecalis populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hullahalli, Karthik; Rodrigues, Marinelle; Palmer, Kelli L

    2017-06-23

    CRISPR-Cas provides a barrier to horizontal gene transfer in prokaryotes. It was previously observed that functional CRISPR-Cas systems are absent from multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterococcus faecalis , which only possess an orphan CRISPR locus, termed CRISPR2, lacking cas genes. Here, we investigate how the interplay between CRISPR-Cas genome defense and antibiotic selection for mobile genetic elements shapes in vitro E. faecalis populations. We demonstrate that CRISPR2 can be reactivated for genome defense in MDR strains. Interestingly, we observe that E. faecalis transiently maintains CRISPR targets despite active CRISPR-Cas systems. Subsequently, if selection for the CRISPR target is present, toxic CRISPR spacers are lost over time, while in the absence of selection, CRISPR targets are lost over time. We find that forced maintenance of CRISPR targets induces a fitness cost that can be exploited to alter heterogeneous E. faecalis populations.

  8. Purification and characterization of enterocin 4, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis INIA 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joosten, H M; Nunez, M; Devreese, B; Van Beeumen, J; Marugg, J D

    1996-01-01

    A simple two-step procedure was developed to obtain pure enterocin 4, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis INIA 4. Chemical and genetic characterization revealed that the primary structure of enterocin 4 is identical to that of peptide antibiotic AS-48 from Enterococcus faecalis S-48. In contrast to the reported inhibitory spectrum of AS-48, enterocin 4 displayed no activity against gram-negative bacteria. PMID:8900014

  9. Purification and characterization of enterocin 4, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis INIA 4.

    OpenAIRE

    Joosten, H M; Nunez, M; Devreese, B; Van Beeumen, J; Marugg, J D

    1996-01-01

    A simple two-step procedure was developed to obtain pure enterocin 4, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis INIA 4. Chemical and genetic characterization revealed that the primary structure of enterocin 4 is identical to that of peptide antibiotic AS-48 from Enterococcus faecalis S-48. In contrast to the reported inhibitory spectrum of AS-48, enterocin 4 displayed no activity against gram-negative bacteria.

  10. Comparison between syringe irrigation and RinsEndo in reduction of Enterococcus faecalis in experimentally infected root canal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharareh Mousavi Zahed

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims: To ensure root canal treatment success, endodontic microbiota should be efficiently reduced. Several irrigation devices have been recently introduced with the main objective of improving root canal disinfection.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rinsing effect of RinsEndo system in reduction of enterococcus faecalis in comparison with conventional hand syringe in infected root canals.   Materials and Methods: 60 extracted single canal anterior teeth were infected with enterococcus faecalis and divided into 3 groups: RinsEndo system, conventional hand syringe and control group. The enterococcus faecalis colonies were counted in each group before and after rinsing. Data were analyzed using Variance and Kruskal Wallis test.   Results: The mean of enterococcus faecalis growth after rinsing was 3.50×103 in group with conventional syring rinsing, 2.04×103 in group with RinsEndo washing and 6.11×103 in control group. Reduction of enterococcus faecalis after rinsing was statistically significant in each group (P<0.001. The amount of reduction in number of colonies with RinsEndo and conventional syringe rinsing was higher in comparison with control group and this difference was significant (P<0.001. RinsEndo rinsing effect was statistically significantly higher in comparison to conventional syringe as well (P<0.001.   Conclusion: Rinsing with RinsEndo system was significantly more efficient in reduction of enterococcus faecalis from root canal in comparison with hand syringe washing.

  11. Antimicrobial action of calcium hydroxide-based endodontic sealers after setting, against E. faecalis biofilm

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    Gabriely Cristinni REZENDE

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Enterococcus faecalis are gram positive bacteria that can mostly resist endodontic therapy, inducing persistent infection in the root canal system. Endodontic sealers with antimicrobial activity may help eliminate residual microorganisms that survive endodontic treatment. The present study aimed at comparing the antimicrobial activity of Acroseal, Sealapex and AH Plus endodontic sealers in an in vitro biofilm model. Bovine dentin specimens (144 were prepared, and twelve blocks for each sealer and each experimental time point (2, 7 and 14 days were placed and left in contact with plates containing inoculum of E. faecalis (ATCC 51299, to induce biofilm formation. After 14 days, the samples were transferred to another plate with test sealers and kept at 37°C and 5% CO2 for 2, 7 and 14 days. The specimens without sealers were used as a control for each period. The samples were agitated in a sonicator after each experiment. The suspensions were agitated in a vortex mixer, serially diluted in saline, and triple plated onto m-Enterococcus agar. Colonyforming units were counted, and the data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA, Shapiro-Wilk and Kruskal-Wallis one-way tests (p < 0.05 to determine antimicrobial potential. Sealapex showed significant differences at all the experimental time points, in comparison with all the other groups. AH Plus and Acroseal showed antimicrobial activity only on the 14th experimental day. Neither of the sealers tested were able to completely eliminate the biofilm. Sealapex showed the highest antimicrobial activity in all the experimental periods. The antimicrobial activity of all the sealers analyzed increased over time.

  12. CRISPR-Cas and Restriction-Modification Act Additively against Conjugative Antibiotic Resistance Plasmid Transfer in Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Valerie J; Huo, Wenwen; Sharifi, Ardalan; Palmer, Kelli L

    2016-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of nosocomial infections. Conjugative pheromone-responsive plasmids are narrow-host-range mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that are rapid disseminators of antibiotic resistance in the faecalis species. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas and restriction-modification confer acquired and innate immunity, respectively, against MGE acquisition in bacteria. Most multidrug-resistant E. faecalis isolates lack CRISPR-Cas and possess an orphan locus lacking cas genes, CRISPR2, that is of unknown function. Little is known about restriction-modification defense in E. faecalis. Here, we explore the hypothesis that multidrug-resistant E. faecalis strains are immunocompromised. We assessed MGE acquisition by E. faecalis T11, a strain closely related to the multidrug-resistant hospital isolate V583 but which lacks the ~620 kb of horizontally acquired genome content that characterizes V583. T11 possesses the E. faecalis CRISPR3-cas locus and a predicted restriction-modification system, neither of which occurs in V583. We demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification together confer a 4-log reduction in acquisition of the pheromone-responsive plasmid pAM714 in biofilm matings. Additionally, we show that the orphan CRISPR2 locus is functional for genome defense against another pheromone-responsive plasmid, pCF10, only in the presence of cas9 derived from the E. faecalis CRISPR1-cas locus, which most multidrug-resistant E. faecalis isolates lack. Overall, our work demonstrated that the loss of only two loci led to a dramatic reduction in genome defense against a clinically relevant MGE, highlighting the critical importance of the E. faecalis accessory genome in modulating horizontal gene transfer. Our results rationalize the development of antimicrobial strategies that capitalize upon the immunocompromised status of multidrug-resistant E. faecalis. IMPORTANCE

  13. New trends in dentistry: plant extracts against Enterococcus faecalis. The efficacy compared to chlorhexidine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Lígia de Castilho

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis is an important pathogen associated with endodontic diseases, and its elimination and control are of paramount importance, as it represents one of the major causes of failure in the treatment of endodontic disease. Twenty-five plant extracts obtained from Brazilian forests were found to be effective against planktonic E. faecalis and were subjected to two traditional antibacterial assays, the microdilution broth assay (MDBA and the disk diffusion assay (DDA, using chlorhexidine (CHX as a control. Seven out of 25 extracts showed significant antibacterial activity and were tested in a biofilm assay, and three of these extracts were subjected to chemical fractionation. Residues were tested for their antibacterial activity, and the first chemical findings were described based on thin layer chromatography (TLC. Extracts obtained from Ipomoea alba, Symphonia globulifera and Moronobea coccinea showed significant bactericidal activity in the MDBA. The same I. alba and S. globulifera extracts, as well as the extract obtained from Connarus ruber var. ruber, showed significant activity in the DDA. RH2O obtained from Psidium densicomum and Stryphnodendron pulcherrimum showed better antibacterial activity compared to the respective crude extracts and CHX. TLC analysis showed that phenolic compounds and triterpenes represent the first findings of chemical groups that may occur in all species. The results of the present study include the discovery of six active extracts against planktonic E. faecalis and support further testing via assays involving biofilm formation, as well as the determination of the compounds' chemical profiles, as their activity was significantly better than that observed for CHX.

  14. Virulence Factors Associated with Enterococcus Faecalis Infective Endocarditis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Kristian T; Skov, Marianne N; Gill, Sabine

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: The enterococci are accountable for up to 20% of all cases of infective endocarditis, with Enterococcus faecalis being the primary causative isolate. Infective endocarditis is a life-threatening infection of the endocardium that results in the formation of vegetations. Based...... on a literature review, this paper provides an overview of the virulence factors associated with E. faecalis infective endocarditis. Furthermore, it reports the effects of active or passive immunization against some of these involved factors. INDIVIDUAL VIRULENCE FACTORS: Nine virulence factors have in particular...... been associated with E. faecalis infective endocarditis. Absence of these factors entailed attenuation of strains in both mixed- and mono-bacterial infection endocarditis models as well as in in vitro and ex vivo assays when compared to their virulence factor expressing parental strains. PATHOGENESIS...

  15. Antibiotic resistance and virulence traits in clinical and environmental Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathnayake, I U; Hargreaves, M; Huygens, F

    2012-07-01

    This study compared virulence and antibiotic resistance traits in clinical and environmental Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates. E. faecalis isolates harboured a broader spectrum of virulence determinants compared to E. faecium isolates. The virulence traits Cyl-A, Cyl-B, Cyl-M, gel-E, esp and acm were tested and environmental isolates predominantly harboured gel-E (80% of E. faecalis and 31.9% of E. faecium) whereas esp was more prevalent in clinical isolates (67.8% of E. faecalis and 70.4% of E. faecium). E. faecalis and E. faecium isolated from water had different antibiotic resistance patterns compared to those isolated from clinical samples. Linezolid resistance was not observed in any isolates tested and vancomycin resistance was observed only in clinical isolates. Resistance to other antibiotics (tetracycline, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and ampicillin) was detected in both clinical and water isolates. Clinical isolates were more resistant to all the antibiotics tested compared to water isolates. Multi-drug resistance was more prevalent in clinical isolates (71.2% of E. faecalis and 70.3% of E. faecium) compared to water isolates (only 5.7% E. faecium). tet L and tet M genes were predominantly identified in tetracycline-resistant isolates. All water and clinical isolates resistant to ciprofloxacin and ampicillin contained mutations in the gyrA, parC and pbp5 genes. A significant correlation was found between the presence of virulence determinants and antibiotic resistance in all the isolates tested in this study (pantibiotic resistant enterococci, together with associated virulence traits, in surface recreational water could be a public health risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  16. Conservation of Ebp-type pilus genes among Enterococci and demonstration of their role in adherence of Enterococcus faecalis to human platelets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nallapareddy, Sreedhar R; Sillanpää, Jouko; Mitchell, Jennifer; Singh, Kavindra V; Chowdhury, Shahreen A; Weinstock, George M; Sullam, Paul M; Murray, Barbara E

    2011-07-01

    Ebp are endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pili of Enterococcus faecalis that are also important in experimental urinary tract infections (UTIs). Our analyses, using available genomes, found that the ebp locus is unique to enterococci. In E. faecalis, the ebp locus is very highly conserved and only 1/473 E. faecalis isolates tested lacked ebpABC, while only 1.2% had the bee pilus locus. No other pilus-encoding operon was identified in 55 available genomes, indicating that the vast majority of E. faecalis strains (unlike Enterococcus faecium and streptococci) have a single pilus locus. Surface expression studies showed that Ebp pili were produced in vitro by 91/91 brain heart infusion (BHI) plus serum-grown E. faecalis isolates and that strain OG1RF expressed pili at even higher levels in rat endocarditis vegetations. However, Ebp expression was restricted to 30 to 72% of E. faecalis cells, consistent with a bistability mode of expression. We also evaluated E. faecalis interactions with human platelets and found that growth of E. faecalis in BHI plus serum significantly enhanced adherence to human platelets and that sortase deletion mutants (the ΔsrtA, Δbps, and ΔbpsΔsrtA mutants) were markedly defective. Further studies identified that Ebp pili, but not the microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs) Ace and Fss2, mediate adherence of E. faecalis to platelets. Taken together, our data show that the immunogenic (in human endocarditis patients) and commonly expressed Ebp pili, which are known to be important for experimental endocarditis, are highly conserved and mediate adherence to platelets, suggesting that Ebp pili may be a reasonable immunotherapeutic target for prevention or possibly treatment of endocarditis caused by this species.

  17. Overexpression of Enterococcus faecalis elr operon protects from phagocytosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortes-Perez, Naima G; Dumoulin, Romain; Gaubert, Stéphane; Lacoux, Caroline; Bugli, Francesca; Martin, Rebeca; Chat, Sophie; Piquand, Kevin; Meylheuc, Thierry; Langella, Philippe; Sanguinetti, Maurizio; Posteraro, Brunella; Rigottier-Gois, Lionel; Serror, Pascale

    2015-05-25

    Mechanisms underlying the transition from commensalism to virulence in Enterococcus faecalis are not fully understood. We previously identified the enterococcal leucine-rich protein A (ElrA) as a virulence factor of E. faecalis. The elrA gene is part of an operon that comprises four other ORFs encoding putative surface proteins of unknown function. In this work, we compared the susceptibility to phagocytosis of three E. faecalis strains, including a wild-type (WT), a ΔelrA strain, and a strain overexpressing the whole elr operon in order to understand the role of this operon in E. faecalis virulence. While both WT and ΔelrA strains were efficiently phagocytized by RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages, the elr operon-overexpressing strain showed a decreased capability to be internalized by the phagocytic cells. Consistently, the strain overexpressing elr operon was less adherent to macrophages than the WT strain, suggesting that overexpression of the elr operon could confer E. faecalis with additional anti-adhesion properties. In addition, increased virulence of the elr operon-overexpressing strain was shown in a mouse peritonitis model. Altogether, our results indicate that overexpression of the elr operon facilitates the E. faecalis escape from host immune defenses.

  18. The mazEF toxin–antitoxin system as an attractive target in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soheili S

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Sara Soheili,1 Sobhan Ghafourian,2 Zamberi Sekawi,1 Vasantha Kumari Neela,1 Nourkhoda Sadeghifard,2 Morovat Taherikalani,2 Afra Khosravi,2 Ramliza Ramli,3 Rukman Awang Hamat11Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia; 2Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; 3Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaakob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract: The toxin–antitoxin (TA system is a regulatory system where two sets of genes encode the toxin and its corresponding antitoxin. In this study, the prevalence of TA systems in independently isolated clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis was determined, the dominant TA system was identified, different virulence genes in E. faecium and E. faecalis were surveyed, the level of expression of the virulence and TA genes in normal and stress conditions was determined, and finally their associations with the TA genes were defined. Remarkably, the analysis demonstrated higBA and mazEF in all clinical isolates, and their locations were on chromosomes and plasmids, respectively. On the other hand, a quantitative analysis of TA and virulence genes revealed that the expression level in both genes is different under normal and stress conditions. The results obtained by anti-mazF peptide nucleic acids demonstrated that the expression level of virulence genes had decreased. These findings demonstrate an association between TA systems and virulence factors. The mazEF on the plasmids and the higBA TA genes on the chromosomes of all E. faecium and E. faecalis strains were dominant. Additionally, there was a decrease in the expression of virulence genes in the presence of anti-mazF peptide nucleic acids. Therefore, it is suggested that mazEF TA systems

  19. Conservation of Ebp-Type Pilus Genes among Enterococci and Demonstration of Their Role in Adherence of Enterococcus faecalis to Human Platelets ▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nallapareddy, Sreedhar R.; Sillanpää, Jouko; Mitchell, Jennifer; Singh, Kavindra V.; Chowdhury, Shahreen A.; Weinstock, George M.; Sullam, Paul M.; Murray, Barbara E.

    2011-01-01

    Ebp are endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pili of Enterococcus faecalis that are also important in experimental urinary tract infections (UTIs). Our analyses, using available genomes, found that the ebp locus is unique to enterococci. In E. faecalis, the ebp locus is very highly conserved and only 1/473 E. faecalis isolates tested lacked ebpABC, while only 1.2% had the bee pilus locus. No other pilus-encoding operon was identified in 55 available genomes, indicating that the vast majority of E. faecalis strains (unlike Enterococcus faecium and streptococci) have a single pilus locus. Surface expression studies showed that Ebp pili were produced in vitro by 91/91 brain heart infusion (BHI) plus serum-grown E. faecalis isolates and that strain OG1RF expressed pili at even higher levels in rat endocarditis vegetations. However, Ebp expression was restricted to 30 to 72% of E. faecalis cells, consistent with a bistability mode of expression. We also evaluated E. faecalis interactions with human platelets and found that growth of E. faecalis in BHI plus serum significantly enhanced adherence to human platelets and that sortase deletion mutants (the ΔsrtA, Δbps, and ΔbpsΔsrtA mutants) were markedly defective. Further studies identified that Ebp pili, but not the microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs) Ace and Fss2, mediate adherence of E. faecalis to platelets. Taken together, our data show that the immunogenic (in human endocarditis patients) and commonly expressed Ebp pili, which are known to be important for experimental endocarditis, are highly conserved and mediate adherence to platelets, suggesting that Ebp pili may be a reasonable immunotherapeutic target for prevention or possibly treatment of endocarditis caused by this species. PMID:21502588

  20. Antibacterial Effect of All-in-one Self-etch Adhesives on Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Esmaeel Ebrahimi Chaharom

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and aims. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of one-step self-etch adhesives on Enterococcus faecalis on days 1, 7 and 14 with the use of modified direct contact test. Materials and methods. The modified directcontact test was used to evaluate the antibacterial effect of Adper Easy One, Bond Force, Clearfil S3 Bond, Futurabond M, G-Bond, iBond and OptiBond All-in-one adhesives on Enterococcus faecalisafter aging the samples in phosphate-buffered saline for one, seven and fourteen days. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests. Aging effect of each adhesive was evaluated by paired-sample test. In this study, P0.05. Conclusion. iBond exhibited the highest antibacterial effect on E. faecalis after one week. Futurabond and OptiBond All-in-one exhibited antibacterial effects against E. faecalis for one week.

  1. Enterococcus faecalis phosphomevalonate kinase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doun, Stephanie S.; Burgner, John W.; Briggs, Scott D.; Rodwell, Victor W.

    2005-01-01

    The six enzymes of the mevalonate pathway of isopentenyl diphosphate biosynthesis represent potential for addressing a pressing human health concern, the development of antibiotics against resistant strains of the Gram-positive streptococci. We previously characterized the first four of the mevalonate pathway enzymes of Enterococcus faecalis, and here characterize the fifth, phosphomevalonate kinase (E.C. 2.7.4.2). E. faecalis genomic DNA and the polymerase chain reaction were used to clone DNA thought to encode phosphomevalonate kinase into pET28b(+). Double-stranded DNA sequencing verified the sequence of the recombinant gene. The encoded N-terminal hexahistidine-tagged protein was expressed in Escherichia coli with induction by isopropylthiogalactoside and purified by Ni++ affinity chromatography, yield 20 mg protein per liter. Analysis of the purified protein by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry established it as E. faecalis phosphomevalonate kinase. Analytical ultracentrifugation revealed that the kinase exists in solution primarily as a dimer. Assay for phosphomevalonate kinase activity used pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase to couple the formation of ADP to the oxidation of NADH. Optimal activity occurred at pH 8.0 and at 37°C. The activation energy was ~5.6 kcal/mol. Activity with Mn++, the preferred cation, was optimal at about 4 mM. Relative rates using different phosphoryl donors were 100 (ATP), 3.6 (GTP), 1.6 (TTP), and 0.4 (CTP). Km values were 0.17 mM for ATP and 0.19 mM for (R,S)-5-phosphomevalonate. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 3.9 μmol substrate converted per minute per milligram protein. Applications to an immobilized enzyme bioreactor and to drug screening and design are discussed. PMID:15802646

  2. Risk Factors of Endocarditis in Patients with Enterococcus faecalis Bacteremia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Anders; Lauridsen, Trine K; Arpi, Magnus

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND:  The NOVA score is a recently developed diagnostic tool to identify patients with increased risk of infective endocarditis (IE) among patients with Enterococcus faecalis (EF) bacteremia. We aim to validate an adapted version of the NOVA score and to identify risk factors for IE...

  3. Antibacterial effect of four endodontic cements against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. An in vitro study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos J. Carruitero

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To compare the in vitro antibacterial effect of the root canal cements Endobalsam®, Top Seal®, Apexit® and Endofill® against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Materials and method: Eighty-five applications of cements on Enterococcus faecalis, cultured in vitro on solid media in Petri dishes, were analyzed. Five groups were evaluated: four for each cement, and the fifth for the positive control (amoxicillin. The antibacterial effect was measured by the diameters of the bacterial inhibition halos at 24 hours, 48 hours, and seven days. Student´s t-test, ANOVA and the Tukey test were used for the statistical analysis. Results: No statistically significant differences were found at 24 hours (p>0.05; at 48 hours and seven days, Endofill® and Apexit® had the greatest effect (p0.05. Conclusion: Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was susceptible to all cements. Endofill® had greater in vitro antibacterial effect than Apexit®, Top Seal® and Endobalsam®.

  4. Therapeutic effects of gold nanoparticles synthesized using Musa paradisiaca peel extract against multiple antibiotic resistant Enterococcus faecalis biofilms and human lung cancer cells (A549).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vijayakumar, S; Vaseeharan, B; Malaikozhundan, B; Gopi, N; Ekambaram, P; Pachaiappan, R; Velusamy, P; Murugan, K; Benelli, G; Suresh Kumar, R; Suriyanarayanamoorthy, M

    2017-01-01

    Botanical-mediated synthesis of nanomaterials is currently emerging as a cheap and eco-friendly nanotechnology, since it does not involve the use of toxic chemicals. In the present study, we focused on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using the aqueous peel extract of Musa paradisiaca (MPPE-AuNPs) following a facile and cheap fabrication process. The green synthesized MPPE-AuNPs were bio-physically characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, TEM, Zeta potential analysis and EDX. MPPE-AuNPs were crystalline in nature, spherical to triangular in shape, with particle size ranging within 50 nm. The biofilm inhibition activity of MPPE-AuNPs was higher against multiple antibiotic resistant (MARS) Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis. Light and confocal laser scanning microscopic observations evidenced that the MPPE-AuNPs effectively inhibited the biofilm of E. faecalis when tested at 100 μg mL -1 . Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that MPPE-AuNPs were effective in inhibiting the viability of human A549 lung cancer cells at higher concentrations of 100 μg mL -1 . The morphological changes in the MPPE-AuNPs treated A549 lung cancer cells were visualized under phase-contrast microscopy. Furthermore, the ecotoxicity of MPPE-AuNPs on the freshwater micro crustacean Ceriodaphnia cornuta were evaluated. Notably, no mortality was recorded in MPPE-AuNPs treated C. cornuta at 250 μg mL -1 . This study concludes that MPPE-AuNPs are non-toxic, eco-friendly and act as a multipurpose potential biomaterial for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Endodontic sealers: Intratubular penetration and permeability to Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bortolini Maria Cecilia

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim : Evaluate in vitro the intratubular penetration and permeability of endodontic sealers in teeth contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods : Human canines were filled with AHPlus ® , Endo CPM-sealer ® or EndoRez ® sealers. To evaluate permeability, the coronary portion of each tooth was contaminated with E. faecalis, then the apical portion was immersed in brain heart infusion (BHI broth, and medium turbidity was observed for thirty days. Scanning electron microscope (SEM was used to evaluate the intratubular penetration of each sealer at the cervical, middle, and apical thirds of the tooth. Results : Only one tooth from the Endo CPM-sealer ® group presented broth contamination. EndoRez ® showed increased intratubular penetration compared to AHPlus ® and Endo CPM-sealer ® . Conclusions : Endo CPM-sealer ® showed greater permeability to E. faecalis and EndoRez ® showed increased intratubular penetration.

  6. Genes Important for Catalase Activity in Enterococcus faecalis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baureder, Michael; Hederstedt, Lars

    2012-01-01

    Little in general is known about how heme proteins are assembled from their constituents in cells. The Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis cannot synthesize heme and does not depend on it for growth. However, when supplied with heme in the growth medium the cells can synthesize two heme proteins; catalase (KatA) and cytochrome bd (CydAB). To identify novel factors important for catalase biogenesis libraries of E. faecalis gene insertion mutants were generated using two different types of transposons. The libraries of mutants were screened for clones deficient in catalase activity using a colony zymogram staining procedure. Analysis of obtained clones identified, in addition to katA (encoding the catalase enzyme protein), nine genes distributed over five different chromosomal loci. No factors with a dedicated essential role in catalase biogenesis or heme trafficking were revealed, but the results indicate the RNA degradosome (srmB, rnjA), an ABC-type oligopeptide transporter (oppBC), a two-component signal transducer (etaR), and NADH peroxidase (npr) as being important for expression of catalase activity in E. faecalis. It is demonstrated that catalase biogenesis in E. faecalis is independent of the CydABCD proteins and that a conserved proline residue in the N-terminal region of KatA is important for catalase assembly. PMID:22590595

  7. Physiological characterization of Enterococcus faecalis during azoreductase activity

    OpenAIRE

    Punj, Sumit; John, Gilbert H.

    2011-01-01

    Azo dyes are widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, paper, and textile industries. Some azo dyes are known to produce carcinogenic compounds upon reductive cleavage of the azo bond (N=N) by intestinal flora. There is not much information available on the effect of these dyes on the physiology of the gut microflora as well as their kinetics of reduction in different environments. The azoreductase activity of Enterococcus faecalis, an important opportunistic intestinal pathogen, was tested us...

  8. Characterization and Application of Enterocin RM6, a Bacteriocin from Enterococcus faecalis

    OpenAIRE

    Huang, En; Zhang, Liwen; Chung, Yoon-Kyung; Zheng, Zuoxing; Yousef, Ahmed E.

    2013-01-01

    Use of bacteriocins in food preservation has received great attention in recent years. The goal of this study is to characterize enterocin RM6 from Enterococcus faecalis OSY-RM6 and investigate its efficacy against Listeria monocytogenes in cottage cheese. Enterocin RM6 was purified from E. faecalis culture supernatant using ion exchange column, multiple C18-silica cartridges, followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of enterocin RM6 is 7145.0823 ...

  9. Genetic diversity of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from environmental, animal and clinical sources in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diane S. Daniel

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis ranks as one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections. A strong epidemiological link has been reported between E. faecalis inhabiting animals and environmental sources. This study investigates the genetic diversity, antibiotic resistance and virulence determinants in E. faecalis from three sources in Malaysia. A total of 250 E. faecalis isolates were obtained consisting of 120 isolates from farm animals, 100 isolates from water sources and 30 isolates from hospitalized patients. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis-typing yielded 63 pulsotypes, with high diversity observed in all sources (D = ≥0.901. No pulsotype was common to all the three sources. Each patient room had its own unique PFGE pattern which persisted after six months. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of Vancomycin, Gentamicin, Penicillin, Tetracycline, Nitrofurantoin, Levofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin and Fosfomycin were evaluated. Resistance to Tetracycline was most prevalent in isolates from farm animals (62% and water sources (49%. Water isolates (86% had a higher prevalence of the asa1 gene, which encodes for aggregation substance, whereas clinical (78% and farm animal isolates (87% had a higher prevalence of the esp gene, encoding a surface exposed protein. This study generates knowledge on the genetic diversity of E. faecalis with antibiotic resistance and virulence characteristics from various sources in Malaysia. Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, Enterococcus faecalis, Genetic diversity, Molecular typing, Virulence markers

  10. Buwchitin: a ruminal peptide with antimicrobial potential against Enterococcus faecalis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oyama, Linda B.; Crochet, Jean-Adrien; Edwards, Joan E.; Girdwood, Susan E.; Cookson, Alan R.; Fernandez-Fuentes, Narcis; Hilpert, Kai; Golyshin, Peter N.; Golyshina, Olga V.; Privé, Florence; Hess, Matthias; Mantovani, Hilario C.; Creevey, Christopher J.; Huws, Sharon A.

    2017-07-01

    Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are gaining popularity as alternatives for treatment of bacterial infections and recent advances in omics technologies provide new platforms for AMP discovery. We sought to determine the antibacterial activity of a novel antimicrobial peptide, buwchitin, against Enterococcus faecalis. Buwchitin was identified from a rumen bacterial metagenome library, cloned, expressed and purified. The antimicrobial activity of the recombinant peptide was assessed using a broth microdilution susceptibility assay to determine the peptide's killing kinetics against selected bacterial strains. The killing mechanism of buwchitin was investigated further by monitoring its ability to cause membrane depolarization (diSC3(5) method) and morphological changes in E. faecalis cells. Transmission electron micrographs of buwchitin treated E. faecalis cells showed intact outer membranes with blebbing, but no major damaging effects and cell morphology changes. Buwchitin had negligible cytotoxicity against defibrinated sheep erythrocytes. Although no significant membrane leakage and depolarization was observed, buwchitin at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was bacteriostatic against E. faecalis cells and inhibited growth in vitro by 70% when compared to untreated cells. These findings suggest that buwchitin, a rumen derived peptide, has potential for antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis.

  11. Buwchitin: A Ruminal Peptide with Antimicrobial Potential against Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda B. Oyama

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs are gaining popularity as alternatives for treatment of bacterial infections and recent advances in omics technologies provide new platforms for AMP discovery. We sought to determine the antibacterial activity of a novel antimicrobial peptide, buwchitin, against Enterococcus faecalis. Buwchitin was identified from a rumen bacterial metagenome library, cloned, expressed and purified. The antimicrobial activity of the recombinant peptide was assessed using a broth microdilution susceptibility assay to determine the peptide's killing kinetics against selected bacterial strains. The killing mechanism of buwchitin was investigated further by monitoring its ability to cause membrane depolarization (diSC3(5 method and morphological changes in E. faecalis cells. Transmission electron micrographs of buwchitin treated E. faecalis cells showed intact outer membranes with blebbing, but no major damaging effects and cell morphology changes. Buwchitin had negligible cytotoxicity against defibrinated sheep erythrocytes. Although no significant membrane leakage and depolarization was observed, buwchitin at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC was bacteriostatic against E. faecalis cells and inhibited growth in vitro by 70% when compared to untreated cells. These findings suggest that buwchitin, a rumen derived peptide, has potential for antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis.

  12. A Case of Fatal Bacterial Meningitis Caused by Enterococcus Faecalis: Postmortem Diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gülhan Yağmur

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus species rarely cause bacterial meningitis without predisposing factors such as trauma, brain surgery, etc. In this study, we present a bacterial meningitis case caused by Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis in a 13-year-old male who was found dead at home. One hundred and forty two cm tall, 37 kg weight male had admitted to hospital two days after the beginning of complaints such as weakness, headache, swelling of left eye, nausea and vomiting. Body temperature was 37.3 oC, leucocyte count 22100/ mm3, and CRP 71 g/dl at the hospital admission. Antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (625 mg was given to the patient but he was found dead in his house the day after. In autopsy; yellow-green purulant liquid in left frontoparietal zone, fullness of meningeal vessels and oedema was seen in brain. Isolated bacteria in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF was identificated as E. faecalis by mini API 32 Strep®. Postmortem microbiological sampling in autopsy and defining etiologic agents is important for rare meningitis cases in which antemortem identification could not be done before death.

  13. The Relationship among Tyrosine Decarboxylase and Agmatine Deiminase Pathways in Enterococcus faecalis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perez, Marta; Ladero, Victor; del Rio, Beatriz; Redruello, Begona; de Jong, Anne; Kuipers, Oscar; Kok, Jan; Martin, M. Cruz; Fernandez, Maria; Alvarez, Miguel A.

    2017-01-01

    Enterococci are considered mainly responsible for the undesirable accumulation of the biogenic amines tyramine and putrescine in cheeses. The biosynthesis of tyramine and putrescine has been described as a species trait in Enterococcus faecalis. Tyramine is formed by the decarboxylation of the amino

  14. Vitality of Enterococcus faecalis inside dentinal tubules after five root canal disinfection methods

    OpenAIRE

    Vatkar, Niranjan Ashok; Hegde, Vivek; Sathe, Sucheta

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To compare the vitality of Enterococcus faecalis within dentinal tubules after subjected to five root canal disinfection methods. Materials and Methods: Dentin blocks (n = 60) were colonized with E. faecalis. After 4 weeks of incubation, the dentin blocks were divided into one control and five test groups (n = 10 each). The root canals of test groups were subjected to one of the disinfection methods, namely, normal saline (NS), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), chlorhexidine digluconate (C...

  15. Antibacterial Effect of Diclofenac Sodium on Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amin Salemmilani

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs have shown antibacterial activity in some recent studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of diclofenac against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis as a resistant endodontic bacterium in comparison with ibuprofen, calcium hydroxide and amoxicillin.Materials and Methods: The antibacterial activity of materials was evaluated using agar diffusion test and tube dilution method. Mixtures of 400 mg/ml of materials were prepared. The bacteria were seeded on 10 Muller-Hinton agar culture plates. Thirty microliter of each test material was placed in each well punched in agar plates. After incubation, the zone of bacterial inhibition was measured. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of the test materials was determined by agar dilution method. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA followed by Sidak post hoc test was used to compare the mean zone of microbial growth in the groups.Results: There were significant differences between the two groups (p< 0.05. Results of the agar diffusion test showed that antibiotics (amoxicillin, gentamycin had the greatest antibacterial activity followed by NSAIDs (ibuprofen, diclofenac. Ca(OH2 failed to show antibacterial activity. Diclofenac and ibuprofen showed distinct antibacterial activity against E. faecalis in 50 µg/ml and above concentrations.Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it is concluded that diclofenac and ibuprofen have significantly more pronounced antibacterial activity against E. faecalis in comparison with Ca(OH2.

  16. The mazEF toxin-antitoxin system as an attractive target in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soheili, Sara; Ghafourian, Sobhan; Sekawi, Zamberi; Neela, Vasantha Kumari; Sadeghifard, Nourkhoda; Taherikalani, Morovat; Khosravi, Afra; Ramli, Ramliza; Hamat, Rukman Awang

    2015-01-01

    The toxin-antitoxin (TA) system is a regulatory system where two sets of genes encode the toxin and its corresponding antitoxin. In this study, the prevalence of TA systems in independently isolated clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis was determined, the dominant TA system was identified, different virulence genes in E. faecium and E. faecalis were surveyed, the level of expression of the virulence and TA genes in normal and stress conditions was determined, and finally their associations with the TA genes were defined. Remarkably, the analysis demonstrated higBA and mazEF in all clinical isolates, and their locations were on chromosomes and plasmids, respectively. On the other hand, a quantitative analysis of TA and virulence genes revealed that the expression level in both genes is different under normal and stress conditions. The results obtained by anti-mazF peptide nucleic acids demonstrated that the expression level of virulence genes had decreased. These findings demonstrate an association between TA systems and virulence factors. The mazEF on the plasmids and the higBA TA genes on the chromosomes of all E. faecium and E. faecalis strains were dominant. Additionally, there was a decrease in the expression of virulence genes in the presence of anti-mazF peptide nucleic acids. Therefore, it is suggested that mazEF TA systems are potent and sensitive targets in all E. faecium and E. faecalis strains.

  17. The mazEF toxin–antitoxin system as an attractive target in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soheili, Sara; Ghafourian, Sobhan; Sekawi, Zamberi; Neela, Vasantha Kumari; Sadeghifard, Nourkhoda; Taherikalani, Morovat; Khosravi, Afra; Ramli, Ramliza; Hamat, Rukman Awang

    2015-01-01

    The toxin–antitoxin (TA) system is a regulatory system where two sets of genes encode the toxin and its corresponding antitoxin. In this study, the prevalence of TA systems in independently isolated clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis was determined, the dominant TA system was identified, different virulence genes in E. faecium and E. faecalis were surveyed, the level of expression of the virulence and TA genes in normal and stress conditions was determined, and finally their associations with the TA genes were defined. Remarkably, the analysis demonstrated higBA and mazEF in all clinical isolates, and their locations were on chromosomes and plasmids, respectively. On the other hand, a quantitative analysis of TA and virulence genes revealed that the expression level in both genes is different under normal and stress conditions. The results obtained by anti-mazF peptide nucleic acids demonstrated that the expression level of virulence genes had decreased. These findings demonstrate an association between TA systems and virulence factors. The mazEF on the plasmids and the higBA TA genes on the chromosomes of all E. faecium and E. faecalis strains were dominant. Additionally, there was a decrease in the expression of virulence genes in the presence of anti-mazF peptide nucleic acids. Therefore, it is suggested that mazEF TA systems are potent and sensitive targets in all E. faecium and E. faecalis strains. PMID:26005332

  18. Inhibition of Serratia marcescens Smj-11 biofilm formation by Alcaligenes faecalis STN17 crude extract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lutfi, Zainal; Ahmad, Asmat; Usup, Gires

    2014-01-01

    Serratia marcescens biofilms are formed when they are bound to surfaces in aqueous environments. S. marcescens utilizes N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) as its quorum sensing signal molecule. The accumulation of AHL indicates the bacteria to produce matrices to form biofilms. Prodigiosin (2-methyl-3-pentyl-6-methoxyprodigiosin), which causes red pigmentation in the colonies, are also produced when the AHL reaches a certain threshold. The Alcaligenes faecalis STN17 crude extract is believed to inhibit quorum sensing in the S. marcescens Smj-11 and, thus, impedes its biofilm formation ability. A. faecalis STN17 was grown in marine broth, and ethyl acetate extraction was carried out. The crude compound of A. faecalis STN17 was diluted at high concentration (0.2-6.4 mg/mL) and was taken to confirm anti-biofilm activity through the crystal violet method in 96-wells plate. Then, the crude extract underwent purification using simple solvents partitioning test to discern the respective compounds that had the anti-biofilm activity under the crystal violet method. The crystal violet test showed that the crude did have anti-biofilm activity on S. marcescens Smj-11, but did not kill the cells. This finding signifies that the suppression of biofilm formation in S. marcescens by A. faecalis STN17 has a strong correlation. The partitioning test showed that A. faecalis STN17 crude extract has several compounds and only the compound(s) in chloroform showed activities. In conclusion, the crude extract of A. faecalis STN17 has the ability to inhibit S. marcescens Smj-11 biofilm formation

  19. Inhibition of Serratia marcescens Smj-11 biofilm formation by Alcaligenes faecalis STN17 crude extract

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lutfi, Zainal; Ahmad, Asmat [School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Usup, Gires [School of Environmental and Natural Resources Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2014-09-03

    Serratia marcescens biofilms are formed when they are bound to surfaces in aqueous environments. S. marcescens utilizes N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) as its quorum sensing signal molecule. The accumulation of AHL indicates the bacteria to produce matrices to form biofilms. Prodigiosin (2-methyl-3-pentyl-6-methoxyprodigiosin), which causes red pigmentation in the colonies, are also produced when the AHL reaches a certain threshold. The Alcaligenes faecalis STN17 crude extract is believed to inhibit quorum sensing in the S. marcescens Smj-11 and, thus, impedes its biofilm formation ability. A. faecalis STN17 was grown in marine broth, and ethyl acetate extraction was carried out. The crude compound of A. faecalis STN17 was diluted at high concentration (0.2-6.4 mg/mL) and was taken to confirm anti-biofilm activity through the crystal violet method in 96-wells plate. Then, the crude extract underwent purification using simple solvents partitioning test to discern the respective compounds that had the anti-biofilm activity under the crystal violet method. The crystal violet test showed that the crude did have anti-biofilm activity on S. marcescens Smj-11, but did not kill the cells. This finding signifies that the suppression of biofilm formation in S. marcescens by A. faecalis STN17 has a strong correlation. The partitioning test showed that A. faecalis STN17 crude extract has several compounds and only the compound(s) in chloroform showed activities. In conclusion, the crude extract of A. faecalis STN17 has the ability to inhibit S. marcescens Smj-11 biofilm formation.

  20. Characterization of transferable tetracycline resistance genes in Enterococcus faecalis isolated from raw food

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wilcks, Andrea; Andersen, Sigrid Rita; Licht, Tine Rask

    2005-01-01

    The prevalence of tetracycline resistance, and of specific genetic determinants for this resistance was investigated in 1003 strains of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from various raw food products originating from five categories including chicken meat, other poultry meat, beef, pork, and 'other...

  1. Efektivitas antibakteri ekstrak daun sirih (Piper betle Linn)terhadap bakteri Enterococcus faecalis (Antibacterial effectiveness of betel leaf extract (Piper Betle Linn) to Enterococcus faecalis)

    OpenAIRE

    Armianty Armianty; Indrya Kirana Mattulada

    2014-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis is one of bacteria which have resistance against the pulp tissue defense mechanism and often found in endodontic infections. This bacterial is may hold good colonization, can survive in the root canal without other bacteria, and is capable of producing toxins directly or through the induction of inflammation. Betel leaf (Piper betle Linn)contain essential oils, as the main components of the essential oils are phenols and compounds, among other derivate such a...

  2. Infection dynamics of vancomycin and inducible clindamycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis in an Indian teaching hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Debasmita Dubey

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To do surveillance for vancomycin and inducible clindamycin resistance of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis, a Gram-positive bacterium in a teaching hospital. Methods: E. faecalis strains isolated from clinical samples were screened for vancomycin and inducible clindamycin resistance, i.e., D-test positivity, using vancomycin screen agar and blood agar plates, respectively. For the D-test screening, erythromycin resistant (Er-r and clindamycin sensitive (Cd-s strain were used. Results: Of 265 isolated E. faecalis strains, 159 (60% were vancomycin resistant Enterococcus (VRE and 106 were vancomycin sensitive Enterococcus (VSE. Of 265 strains, 42 were constitutively resistant to clindamycin and erythromycin and of 148 Er-r and Cd-s strains, 87 (32.83% had D-test positivity, while the rest 61 strains were D-test negatives. D-test results examined with 6 hospital factors as bivalents, only 2 factors, the VSE/VRE and the presence/absence of prior antibiotic use > 90 days bivalent were statistically significant. A VRE strain with D-test positivity would be picked up 0.570 2 times more frequently than a strain with VSE and D-test positivity. Also, patients with prior antibiotic use > 90 days had 3.737 5 times more chance of picking up D-test positive strains than patients without any prior antibiotic use. Resistance pattern of E. faecalis strains to individual 14 antibiotics were recorded; the maximum values of resistance were against ampicillin 10 μg/disc and linezolid 30 μg/disc. Student’s t-test for hospital acquired and community acquired data revealed that drug resistant strains were equally prevalent in both sources. Conclusions: Prevalence of 60% VRE in both hospital and adjoining community creates consternation. In total 87 (32.83% strains had D-test positivity; patients who had used antibiotics within the last 90 days have got an ample chance of picking of D-test positive E. faecalis. D-test protocol should be followed with

  3. Comparative genomic analysis of pathogenic and probiotic Enterococcus faecalis isolates, and their transcriptional responses to growth in human urine.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heidi C Vebø

    Full Text Available Urinary tract infection (UTI is the most common infection caused by enterococci, and Enterococcus faecalis accounts for the majority of enterococcal infections. Although a number of virulence related traits have been established, no comprehensive genomic or transcriptomic studies have been conducted to investigate how to distinguish pathogenic from non-pathogenic E. faecalis in their ability to cause UTI. In order to identify potential genetic traits or gene regulatory features that distinguish pathogenic from non-pathogenic E. faecalis with respect to UTI, we have performed comparative genomic analysis, and investigated growth capacity and transcriptome profiling in human urine in vitro. Six strains of different origins were cultivated and all grew readily in human urine. The three strains chosen for transcriptional analysis showed an overall similar response with respect to energy and nitrogen metabolism, stress mechanism, cell envelope modifications, and trace metal acquisition. Our results suggest that citrate and aspartate are significant for growth of E. faecalis in human urine, and manganese appear to be a limiting factor. The majority of virulence factors were either not differentially regulated or down-regulated. Notably, a significant up-regulation of genes involved in biofilm formation was observed. Strains from different origins have similar capacity to grow in human urine. The overall similar transcriptional responses between the two pathogenic and the probiotic strain suggest that the pathogenic potential of a certain E. faecalis strain may to a great extent be determined by presence of fitness and virulence factors, rather than the level of expression of such traits.

  4. Root Canal Irrigation: Chemical Agents and Plant Extracts Against Enterococcus faecalis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borzini, Letizia; Condò, Roberta; De Dominicis, Paolo; Casaglia, Adriano; Cerroni, Loredana

    2016-01-01

    Background: There are various microorganisms related to intra and extra-radicular infections and many of these are involved in persistent infections. Bacterial elimination from the root canal is achieved by means of the mechanical action of instruments and irrigation as well as the antibacterial effects of the irrigating solutions. Enterococcus faecalis can frequently be isolated from root canals in cases of failed root canal treatments. Antimicrobial agents have often been developed and optimized for their activity against endodontic bacteria. An ideal root canal irrigant should be biocompatible, because of its close contact with the periodontal tissues during endodontic treatment. Sodium hypoclorite (NaOCl) is one of the most widely recommended and used endodontic irrigants but it is highly toxic to periapical tissues. Objectives: To analyze the literature on the chemotherapeutic agent and plant extracts studied as root canal irrigants. In particularly, the study is focused on their effect on Enterococcus faecalis. Method: Literature search was performed electronically in PubMed (PubMed Central, MEDLINE) for articles published in English from 1982 to April 2015. The searched keywords were “endodontic irrigants” and “Enterococcus faecalis” and “essential oil” and “plant extracts”. Results: Many of the studied chemotherapeutic agents and plant extracts have shown promising results in vitro. Conclusion: Some of the considered phytotherapic substances, could be a potential alternative to NaOCl for the biomechanical treatment of the endodontic space. PMID:28217184

  5. Structural studies of the Enterococcus faecalis SufU [Fe-S] cluster protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frazzon Jeverson

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Iron-sulfur clusters are ubiquitous and evolutionarily ancient inorganic prosthetic groups, the biosynthesis of which depends on complex protein machineries. Three distinct assembly systems involved in the maturation of cellular Fe-S proteins have been determined, designated the NIF, ISC and SUF systems. Although well described in several organisms, these machineries are poorly understood in Gram-positive bacteria. Within the Firmicutes phylum, the Enterococcus spp. genus have recently assumed importance in clinical microbiology being considered as emerging pathogens for humans, wherein Enterococcus faecalis represents the major species associated with nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to carry out a phylogenetic analysis in Enterococcus faecalis V583 and a structural and conformational characterisation of it SufU protein. Results BLAST searches of the Enterococcus genome revealed a series of genes with sequence similarity to the Escherichia coli SUF machinery of [Fe-S] cluster biosynthesis, namely sufB, sufC, sufD and SufS. In addition, the E. coli IscU ortholog SufU was found to be the scaffold protein of Enterococcus spp., containing all features considered essential for its biological activity, including conserved amino acid residues involved in substrate and/or co-factor binding (Cys50,76,138 and Asp52 and, phylogenetic analyses showed a close relationship with orthologues from other Gram-positive bacteria. Molecular dynamics for structural determinations and molecular modeling using E. faecalis SufU primary sequence protein over the PDB:1su0 crystallographic model from Streptococcus pyogenes were carried out with a subsequent 50 ns molecular dynamic trajectory. This presented a stable model, showing secondary structure modifications near the active site and conserved cysteine residues. Molecular modeling using Haemophilus influenzae IscU primary sequence over the PDB:1su0 crystal followed by a MD

  6. Antibacterial Efficacy of Calcium Hypochlorite with Vibringe Sonic Irrigation System on Enterococcus faecalis: An In Vitro Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumani, Aysin; Guvenmez, Hatice Korkmaz; Yilmaz, Sehnaz; Yoldas, Oguz; Kurklu, Zeliha Gonca Bek

    2016-01-01

    Aim. The purpose of this study was to compare the in vitro efficacy of calcium hypochlorite (Ca[OCl]2) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) associated with sonic (Vibringe) irrigation system in root canals which were contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis. Material and Methods. The root canals of 84 single-rooted premolars were enlarged up to a file 40, autoclaved, inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis, and incubated for 21 days. The samples were divided into 7 groups according to the irrigation protocol: G0: no treatment; G1: distilled water; G2: 2.5% NaOCl; G3: 2.5% Ca(OCl)2; G4: distilled water with sonic activation; G5: 2.5% NaOCl with sonic activation; and G6: 2.5% Ca(OCl)2 with sonic activation. Before and after decontamination procedures microbiological samples were collected and the colony-forming units were counted and the percentages of reduction were calculated. Results. Distilled water with syringe irrigation and sonic activation groups demonstrated poor antibacterial effect on Enterococcus faecalis compared to other experimental groups (p irrigation systems with Ca(OCl)2 and NaOCl. Conclusion. The antimicrobial property of Ca(OCl)2 has been investigated and compared with that of NaOCl. Both conventional syringe irrigation and sonic irrigation were found effective at removing E. faecalis from the root canal of extracted human teeth. PMID:27218106

  7. Infectious Endocarditis from Enterococcus faecalis Associated with Tubular Adenoma of the Sigmoid Colon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emilly Caroline de Freitas Silva

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis, a constituent of the gut microbiota, can be associated with both colonic lesions and endocarditis. Since this microorganism is one of the endocarditis etiological agents, there is a need for greater study in regard to the association with endocarditis and colonic lesions. Case Presentation. This is the case description of a 53-year-old man with history of prolapse of the anterior mitral valve leaflet who was diagnosed with endocarditis by E. faecalis and treated with ampicillin and gentamicin. Upon investigation by colonoscopy, he was found to have a tubular adenoma with low grade dysplasia. Conclusion. There are a few descriptions in scientific literature of an association between endocarditis by E. faecalis and colonic lesions. However, further studies with significant correlation between the two pathologies are required, so that proper measures can be implemented in clinical practice.

  8. Investigating the mobilome in clinically important lineages of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikalsen, Theresa; Pedersen, Torunn; Willems, Rob; Coque, Teresa M; Werner, Guido; Sadowy, Ewa; van Schaik, Willem; Jensen, Lars Bogø; Sundsfjord, Arnfinn; Hegstad, Kristin

    2015-04-10

    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 antimicrobial resistance genes encoded by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Here, we investigate this mobilome in successful hospital associated genetic lineages, E. faecium sequence type (ST)17 (n=10) and ST78 (n=10), E. faecalis ST6 (n=10) and ST40 (n=10) by DNA microarray analyses. The hybridization patterns of 272 representative targets including plasmid backbones (n=85), transposable elements (n=85), resistance determinants (n=67), prophages (n=29) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-cas sequences (n=6) separated the strains according to species, and for E. faecalis also according to STs. RCR-, Rep_3-, RepA_N- and Inc18-family plasmids were highly prevalent and with the exception of Rep_3, evenly distributed between the species. There was a considerable difference in the replicon profile, with rep 17/pRUM , rep 2/pRE25 , rep 14/EFNP1 and rep 20/pLG1 dominating in E. faecium and rep 9/pCF10 , rep 2/pRE25 and rep 7 in E. faecalis strains. We observed an overall high correlation between the presence and absence of genes coding for resistance towards antibiotics, metals, biocides and their corresponding MGEs as well as their phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Although most IS families were represented in both E. faecalis and E. faecium, specific IS elements within these families were distributed in only one species. The prevalence of IS256-, IS3-, ISL3-, IS200/IS605-, IS110-, IS982- and IS4-transposases was significantly higher in E. faecium than E. faecalis, and that of IS110-, IS982- and IS1182-transposases in E. faecalis ST6 compared to ST40. Notably, the transposases of IS981, ISEfm1 and IS1678 that have only been reported in few enterococcal isolates were well represented in the E. faecium strains. E. faecalis ST40 strains harboured

  9. Bacteriocinogenic potential and virulence traits of Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis isolated from human milk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalkhali, Soodabeh; Mojgani, Naheed

    2017-01-01

    Background and Objectives: Human milk is a continuous supply of Lactic Acid bacteria (LAB), including enterococci with probiotic potentials. The aim of this study was to analyze two Enterococcus species, isolated from human milk for their probiotic potential, bacteriocin producing ability and virulence traits. Materials and Methods: Enterococcus faecium TA0033 and E. faecalis TA102 were tested for acid and bile tolerance, survival in simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. The antibacterial spectrum of the isolates was tested by agar well diffusion assay. The antagonistic agent was characterized by physico-chemical methods. The enterocin structural genes, virulence determinants, vancomycin resistance and biogenic amine genes, such as hdc1, hdc2, tdc, ldc and odc were also determined. Results: The tested isolates survived acidic conditions, high bile salt (1%), simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. The culture supernatant fluids of the two isolates inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae and Streptococcus agalactiae. The antagonistic activity was lost in the presence of proteolytic enzymes but tolerated the action of catalase, lysozyme and lipase. In contrast to enterocin TA102, enterocin TA0033 possessed bactericidal mode of action. Bacteriocin structural genes, entA and entB were present in the genome of the two isolates, while E. faecalis TA102 additionally harboured entP and bac31 genes. The phenotypic and genotypic virulence assessment studies indicated hyaluronidase (hyl) production and vancomycin resistance in E. faecalis TA102 while, none of the isolates harboured the biogenic amine genes. Conclusion: The presence of virulence genes in E. faecalis TA102 calls for careful monitoring of Enterococcus isolates for their safety parameters. PMID:29238458

  10. Different extracts of Zingiber officinale decrease Enterococcus faecalis infection in Galleria mellonella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maekawa, Lilian Eiko; Rossoni, Rodnei Dennis; Barbosa, Júnia Oliveira; Jorge, Antonio Olavo Cardoso; Junqueira, Juliana Campos; Valera, Marcia Carneiro

    2015-01-01

    Dried, fresh and glycolic extracts of Zingiber officinale were obtained to evaluate the action against G. mellonella survival assay against Enterococcus faecalis infection. Eighty larvae were divided into: 1) E. faecalis suspension (control); 2) E. faecalis + fresh extract of Z. officinale (FEO); 3) E. faecalis + dried extract of Z. officinale (DEO); 4) E. faecalis + glycolic extract of Z. officinale (GEO); 5) Phosphate buffered saline (PBS). For control group, a 5 μL inoculum of standardized suspension (107 cells/mL) of E. faecalis (ATCC 29212) was injected into the last left proleg of each larva. For the treatment groups, after E. faecalis inoculation, the extracts were also injected, but into the last right proleg. The larvae were stored at 37 °C and the number of dead larvae was recorded daily for 168 h (7 days) to analyze the survival curve. The larvae were considered dead when they did not show any movement after touching. E. faecalis infection led to the death of 85% of the larvae after 168 h. Notwithstanding, in treatment groups with association of extracts, there was an increase in the survival rates of 50% (GEO), 61% (FEO) and 66% (DEO) of the larvae. In all treatment groups, the larvae exhibited a survival increase with statistically significant difference in relation to control group (p=0.0029). There were no statistically significant differences among treatment groups with different extracts (p=0.3859). It may be concluded that the tested extracts showed antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis infection by increasing the survival of Galleria mellonella larvae.

  11. CRISPR-Cas and Restriction-Modification Act Additively against Conjugative Antibiotic Resistance Plasmid Transfer in Enterococcus faecalis

    OpenAIRE

    Price, Valerie J.; Huo, Wenwen; Sharifi, Ardalan; Palmer, Kelli L.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of nosocomial infections. Conjugative pheromone-responsive plasmids are narrow-host-range mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that are rapid disseminators of antibiotic resistance in the faecalis species. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas and restriction-modification confer acquired and innate immunity, respectively, against MGE acquisition in bacteria. Most multidrug-resistant E.?fa...

  12. Enterococcus faecalis proteolytic activity: The mechanism of resistance to antimicrobial peptides

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Nešuta, Ondřej; Monincová, Lenka; Buděšínský, Miloš; Hexnerová, Rozálie; Hadravová, Romana; Čeřovský, Václav

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 15, č. 1 (2017), s. 24-25 ISSN 2336-7202. [Mezioborové setkání mladých biologů, biochemiků a chemiků /17./. 30.05.2017-01.06.2017, Milovy] R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TA04010638; GA MZd(CZ) NV16-27726A Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : antimicrobial peptides * bacterial resistance * Enterococcus faecalis Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology

  13. Antimicrobial susceptibility changes in Enterococcus faecalis following various penicillin exposure regimens.

    OpenAIRE

    Hodges, T L; Zighelboim-Daum, S; Eliopoulos, G M; Wennersten, C; Moellering, R C

    1992-01-01

    Penicillin-"virgin" strains of Enterococcus faecalis collected from a population of individuals with no previous antibiotic exposure were subjected in vitro to penicillin delivered as repeated pulses, stepwise increasing concentrations, or sustained levels of a single concentration. Changes in resistance to penicillin were assessed by determination of MICs, and time-kill studies were performed to evaluate changes in tolerance to the bactericidal effects of penicillin. Isogenic clones, derived...

  14. Ultrasonic activation and chemical modification of photosensitizers enhances the effects of photodynamic therapy against Enterococcus faecalis root-canal isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tennert, C; Drews, A M; Walther, V; Altenburger, M J; Karygianni, L; Wrbas, K T; Hellwig, E; Al-Ahmad, A

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on Enterococcus faecalis biofilms in artificially infected root canals using modified photosensitizers and passive ultrasonic activation. Two hundred and seventy extracted human teeth with one root canal were instrumented utilizing ProTaper files, autoclaved, infected with E. faecalis T9 for 72 h and divided into different groups: irrigation with 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 20% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or 20% citric acid, PDT without irrigation, PDT accompanied by irrigation with NaOCl, EDTA, or citric acid, PDT using an EDTA-based photosensitizer or a citric-acid-based photosensitizer and PDT with ultrasonic activation of the photosensitizer. A 15 mg/ml toluidine blue served as the photosensitizer, activated by a 100 mW LED light source. Sterile paper points were used for sampling the root canals and dentin chips were collected to assess the remaining contamination after treatment. Samples were cultured on blood agar plates and colony forming units were quantified. PDT alone achieved a reduction in E. faecalis counts by 92.7%, NaOCl irrigation alone and combined with PDT by 99.9%. The antibacterial effects increased by the combination of irrigation using EDTA or citric acid and PDT compared to irrigation alone. More than 99% of E. faecalis were killed using PDT with the modified photosensitizers and ultrasonic activation. NaOCl based disinfection achieved the highest antimicrobial effect. Using PDT with an EDTA-based or citric-acid-based phozosensitizer or activating the photosensitizer with ultrasound resulted in a significantly higher reduction in E. faecalis counts compared to conventional PDT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of sarang semut (Myrmecodia Pendens Merr. & Perry extracts on Enterococcus faecalis sensitivity

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    Cut Soraya

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis is a gram positive oral pathogen that reported at the main agent infection of endodontic treatment. Its activities are influenced by the virulence factors facilitating the interaction process between agents with host cells. Like aggregation substance, cytolysin, extracellular superoxide, gelatinase, hyaluronidase, sex pheromones, and surface adhesions molecules. Plant extracts are reported as the material antibacterial as well as E. faecalis in pathogenesis of endodontic infections. Purpose: Purpose of this study was to analyse of sarang semut extracts (Myrmecodia Pendens Merr. & Perry towards sensitivity of E. faecalis. Method: This research used the methanol extract of sarang semut, E. faecalis ATCC 29212, and fosfomycin also chlorhexidine as the positive controls. Whereas, Bradford protein method was measured the concentration of the surface protein of E. faecalis and active component of the sarang semut extract. Result: Generally, the sarang semut extract possessed low sensitivity toward E. faecalis (≤ 13 mm, but on the concentrations of 100 µg/ml and 75 µg/ml better than inhibition of other concentrations, round 10.6-11.6 (mm. Specifically, on 100 µg/ml has indicator the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC on E. faecalis. Whereas minimal inhibition concentration (MIC on the concentration of 3,125 µg/ml. Conclusion: Based on MBC and MIC assay, the extract of sarang semut has potential effects to adherence growth of E. faecalis, mainly on the highest concentration 100 µg/ml also MIC on 3,125 µg/ ml.

  16. Transfer of the pheromone-inducible plasmid pCF10 among Enterococcus faecalis microorganisms colonizing the intestine of mini-pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Licht, Tine Rask; Laugesen, D.; Jensen, Lars Bogø

    2002-01-01

    A new animal model, the streptomycin-treated mini-pig, was developed in order to allow colonization of defined strains of Enterococcus faecalis in numbers sufficient to study plasmid transfer. Transfer of the pheromone-inducible pCF10 plasmid between streptomycin-resistant strains of E. faecalis OG...

  17. First Japanese case of infectious endocarditis due to Enterococcus faecalis small-colony variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogihara, Shinji; Saito, Ryoichi; Sawabe, Etsuko; Hagihara, Michio; Tohda, Shuji

    2016-10-01

    A male patient was admitted to our hospital due to infectious endocarditis. He had been treated with levofloxacin for 6 weeks, sulbactam/cefoperazone for 4 weeks, and benzylpenicillin for 2 days prior to valve replacement surgery. Gram-positive cocci, with morphology consistent with γ-Streptococcus, were detected in blood cultures obtained at admission, as well as in vegetation obtained from the aortic valve. However, the strain could not be identified using biochemical methods. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that the culture was a small-colony variant of Enterococcus faecalis. This is the first case in Japan of infectious endocarditis due to E. faecalis small-colony variants. Small-colony variants are subpopulations of bacteria with slow growth, reduced sugar fermentation, and unstable phenotype. As a result, these strains tend to be misidentified. Further, small-colony variants are associated with recurrent and persistent infections such as prosthetic joint infection and infectious endocarditis. These strains are found in various bacterial species, including Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but rarely in Enterococcus species. The case highlights the need to be vigilant of E. faecalis small-colony variants, especially in patients who received long-term courses of antibiotics. Copyright © 2016 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Enterococcus faecalis from healthy infants modulates inflammation through MAPK signaling pathways.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shugui Wang

    Full Text Available Colonizing commensal bacteria after birth are required for the proper development of the gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that bacterial colonization pattern in neonatal gut affects gut barrier function and immune system maturation. Studies on the development of faecal microbiota in infants showed that the neonatal gut was first colonized with enterococci followed by other microbiota such as Bifidobacterium. Other studies showed that babies who developed allergy were less often colonized with Enterococcus during the first month of life as compared to healthy infants. Many studies have been conducted to elucidate how bifidobacteria or lactobacilli, some of which are considered probiotic, regulate infant gut immunity. However, fewer studies have been focused on enterococi. In our study, we demonstrate that E. faecalis, isolated from healthy newborns, suppress inflammatory responses activated in vivo and in vitro. We found E. faecalis attenuates proinflammatory cytokine secretions, especially IL-8, through JNK and p38 signaling pathways. This finding shed light on how the first colonizer, E.faecalis, regulates inflammatory responses in the host.

  19. Incidence of virulence determinants in clinical Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates collected in Bulgaria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanya Strateva

    2016-03-01

    Conclusion: Most E. faecalis attaches to abiotic surfaces in hospital environment, which correlates with higher prevalence of gene encoding for virulence factors involved in biofilm formation, such as enterococcal surface protein, aggregation substance, and gelatinase. The intestinal tract is an important reservoir for opportunistic enterococcal pathogens and allows them to access infectious sites through different virulence factors, demonstrated in outpatient isolates in this study.

  20. Continuous Drip Flow System to Develop Biofilm of E. faecalis under Anaerobic Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Gonzalez

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To evaluate a structurally mature E. faecalis biofilm developed under anaerobic/dynamic conditions in an in vitro system. Methods. An experimental device was developed using a continuous drip flow system designed to develop biofilm under anaerobic conditions. The inoculum was replaced every 24 hours with a fresh growth medium for up to 10 days to feed the system. Gram staining was done every 24 hours to control the microorganism purity. Biofilms developed under the system were evaluated under the scanning electron microscope (SEM. Results. SEM micrographs demonstrated mushroom-shaped structures, corresponding to a mature E. faecalis biofilm. In the mature biofilm bacterial cells are totally encased in a polymeric extracellular matrix. Conclusions. The proposed in vitro system model provides an additional useful tool to study the biofilm concept in endodontic microbiology, allowing for a better understanding of persistent root canal infections.

  1. A rare case of Enterococcus faecalis-induced orbital cellulitis and myositis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piyush Kohli

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Orbital cellulitis is an infection of soft tissue behind the orbital septum. Common pathogens isolated include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is a straightforward diagnosis and usually responds to empirical treatment without any sequela. We report a case of orbital cellulitis caused by Enterococcus faecalis, which was complicated by myositis of levator palpebrae superioris. To the best of our knowledge, only one case report exists dating way back to 1986.

  2. Surface-Associated Lipoproteins Link Enterococcus faecalis Virulence to Colitogenic Activity in IL-10-Deficient Mice Independent of Their Expression Levels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soeren Ocvirk

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The commensal Enterococcus faecalis is among the most common causes of nosocomial infections. Recent findings regarding increased abundance of enterococci in the intestinal microbiota of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases and induction of colitis in IL-10-deficient (IL-10-/- mice put a new perspective on the contribution of E. faecalis to chronic intestinal inflammation. Based on the expression of virulence-related genes in the inflammatory milieu of IL-10-/- mice using RNA-sequencing analysis, we characterized the colitogenic role of two bacterial structures that substantially impact on E. faecalis virulence by different mechanisms: the enterococcal polysaccharide antigen and cell surface-associated lipoproteins. Germ-free wild type and IL-10-/- mice were monoassociated with E. faecalis wild type OG1RF or the respective isogenic mutants for 16 weeks. Intestinal tissue and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN were collected to characterize tissue pathology, loss of intestinal barrier function, bacterial adhesion to intestinal epithelium and immune cell activation. Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC were stimulated with bacterial lysates and E. faecalis virulence was additionally investigated in three invertebrate models. Colitogenic activity of wild type E. faecalis (OG1RF score: 7.2±1.2 in monoassociated IL-10-/- mice was partially impaired in E. faecalis lacking enterococcal polysaccharide antigen (ΔepaB score: 4.7±2.3; p<0.05 and was almost completely abrogated in E. faecalis deficient for lipoproteins (Δlgt score: 2.3±2.3; p<0.0001. Consistently both E. faecalis mutants showed significantly impaired virulence in Galleria mellonella and Caenorhabditis elegans. Loss of E-cadherin in the epithelium was shown for all bacterial strains in inflamed IL-10-/- but not wild type mice. Inactivation of epaB in E. faecalis reduced microcolony and biofilm formation in vitro, altered bacterial adhesion to intestinal epithelium of germ

  3. Complete Genome Sequence of the Commensal Enterococcus faecalis 62, Isolated from a Healthy Norwegian Infant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brede, Dag Anders; Snipen, Lars Gustav; Ussery, David

    2011-01-01

    The genome of Enterococcus faecalis 62, a commensal isolate from a healthy Norwegian infant, revealed multiple adaptive traits to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) environment and the milk-containing diet of breast-fed infants. Adaptation to a commensal existence was emphasized by lactose and other...

  4. Presence of the resistance genes vanC1 and pbp5 in phenotypically vancomycin and ampicillin susceptible Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwaiger, Karin; Bauer, Johann; Hörmansdorfer, Stefan; Mölle, Gabriele; Preikschat, Petra; Kämpf, Peter; Bauer-Unkauf, Ilse; Bischoff, Meike; Hölzel, Christina

    2012-08-01

    Ampicillin and vancomycin are important antibiotics for the therapy of Enterococcus faecalis infections. The ampicillin resistance gene pbp5 is intrinsic in Enterococcus faecium. The vanC1 gene confers resistance to vancomycin and serves as a species marker for Enterococcus gallinarum. Both genes are chromosomally located. Resistance to ampicillin and vancomycin was determined in 484 E. faecalis of human and porcine origin by microdilution. Since E. faecalis are highly skilled to acquire resistance genes, all strains were investigated for the presence of pbp5 (and, in positive strains, for the penicillin-binding protein synthesis repressor gene psr) and vanC1 (and, in positive strains, for vanXYc and vanT) by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). One porcine and one human isolate were phenotypically resistant to ampicillin; no strain was vancomycin resistant. Four E. faecalis (3/1 of porcine/human origin) carried pbp5 (MIC=1 mg/L), and four porcine strains were vanC1 positive (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC]=1 mg/L). Real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR revealed that the genes were not expressed. The psr gene was absent in the four pbp5-positive strains; the vanXYc gene was absent in the four vanC1-positive strains. However, vanT of the vanC gene cluster was detected in two vanC1-positive strains. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence of pbp5, identical with the "E. faecium pbp5 gene," and of vanC1/vanT in E. faecalis. Even if resistance is not expressed in these strains, this study shows that E. faecalis have a strong ability to acquire resistance genes-and potentially to spread them to other bacteria. Therefore, close monitoring of this species should be continued.

  5. Atomic force microscopy study on specificity and non-specificity of interaction forces between Enterococcus faecalis cells with and without aggregation substance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Waar, Karola; van der Mei, Henderina; Harmsen, Hermie JM; de Vries, Jacob; Atema-Smit, Jelly; Degener, John E; Busscher, Hendrik

    Enterococcus faecalis is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections, and indwelling medical devices are especially prone to infection. E faecalis expressing aggregation substance (Agg) adheres to biomaterial surfaces by means of positive cooperativity, i.e. the ability of one adhering

  6. Virulence factor genes possessing Enterococcus faecalis strains from rabbits and their sensitivity to enterocins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Pogány Simonová

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Information concerning the virulence factor genes and antibiotic resistance of rabbit enterococci is limited, so in this study we tested the virulence factor genes in Enterococcus faecalis strains from rabbits. Moreover, their resistance/sensitivity to antibiotics and sensitivity to enterocins was also tested, with the aim of contributing to our enterocin spectra study and to indicate the possibility of enterocin application in prevention or contaminant elimination in rabbit husbandry. A total of 144 rabbit samples were treated using a standard microbiological method. Thirty-one pure colonies of the species Enterococcus faecalis were identified, using the MALDI-TOF identification system and confirmed using phenotyping, among which 15 strains were virulence factor gene absent. The gelE gene was the most detected (42%; however, the expression of gelatinase phenotype did not always correlate with the detection of gelE. Strains did not show ß-haemolysis and were mostly resistant to tested antibiotics, but sensitive to enterocins (Ent, mainly to Ents EK13=A (P, 2019 and Ent M. Rabbit E. faecalis strains displayed antibiotic resistant traits and the presence of expressed and silent virulence genes, but they showed high levels of sensitivity to natural antimicrobials-enterocins, which indicates the possible prevention of multidrug and virulent enterococcal contaminants by enterocins.

  7. Biofilm-forming capacity in biogenic amine-producing bacteria isolated from dairy products.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria eDiaz

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Biofilms on the surface of food industry equipment are reservoirs of potentially food-contaminating bacteria - both spoilage and pathogenic. However, the capacity of biogenic amine (BA-producers to form biofilms has remained largely unexamined. BAs are low molecular weight, biologically active compounds that in food can reach concentrations high enough to be a toxicological hazard. Fermented foods, especially some types of cheese, accumulate the highest BA concentrations of all. The present work examines the biofilm-forming capacity of 56 BA-producing strains belonging to three genera and 10 species (12 Enterococcus faecalis, 6 Enterococcus faecium, 6 Enterococcus durans, 1 Enterococcus hirae, 12 Lactococcus lactis, 7 Lactobacillus vaginalis, 2 Lactobacillus curvatus, 2 Lactobacillus brevis, 1 Lactobacillus reuteri and 7 Lactobacillus parabuchneri, all isolated from dairy products. Strains of all the tested species - except for L. vaginalis - were able to produce biofilms on polystyrene and adhered to stainless steel. However, the biomass produced in biofilms was strain-dependent. These results suggest that biofilms may provide a route via which fermented foods can become contaminated by BA-producing microorganisms.

  8. Evaluation of Enterococcus faecalis adhesion, penetration, and method to prevent the penetration of Enterococcus faecalis into root cementum: Confocal laser scanning microscope and scanning electron microscope analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halkai, Rahul S; Hegde, Mithra N; Halkai, Kiran R

    2016-01-01

    To ascertain the role of Enterococcus faecalis in persistent infection and a possible method to prevent the penetration of E. faecalis into root cementum. One hundred and twenty human single-rooted extracted teeth divided into five groups. Group I (control): intact teeth, Group II: no apical treatment done, Group III divided into two subgroups. In Groups IIIa and IIIb, root apex treated with lactic acid of acidic and neutral pH, respectively. Group IV: apical root cementum exposed to lactic acid and roughened to mimic the apical resorption. Group V: apical treatment done same as Group IV and root-end filling done using mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Apical one-third of all samples immersed in E. faecalis broth for 8 weeks followed by bone morphogenetic protein and obturation and again immersed into broth for 8 weeks. Teeth split into two halves and observed under confocal laser scanning microscope and scanning electron microscope, organism identified by culture and polymerase chain reaction techniques. Adhesion and penetration was observed in Group IIIa and Group IV. Only adhesion in Group II and IIIB and no adhesion and penetration in Group I and V. Adhesion and penetration of E. faecalis into root cementum providing a long-term nidus for subsequent infection are the possible reason for persistent infection and root-end filling with MTA prevents the adhesion and penetration.

  9. Virulence Genes among Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium Isolated from Coastal Beaches and Human and Nonhuman Sources in Southern California and Puerto Rico

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    Donna M. Ferguson

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Most Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium are harmless to humans; however, strains harboring virulence genes, including esp, gelE, cylA, asa1, and hyl, have been associated with human infections. E. faecalis and E. faecium are present in beach waters worldwide, yet little is known about their virulence potential. Here, multiplex PCR was used to compare the distribution of virulence genes among E. faecalis and E. faecium isolated from beaches in Southern California and Puerto Rico to isolates from potential sources including humans, animals, birds, and plants. All five virulence genes were found in E. faecalis and E. faecium from beach water, mostly among E. faecalis. gelE was the most common among isolates from all source types. There was a lower incidence of asa1, esp, cylA, and hyl genes among isolates from beach water, sewage, septage, urban runoff, sea wrack, and eelgrass as compared to human isolates, indicating that virulent strains of E. faecalis and E. faecium may not be widely disseminated at beaches. A higher frequency of asa1 and esp among E. faecalis from dogs and of asa1 among birds (mostly seagull suggests that further studies on the distribution and virulence potential of strains carrying these genes may be warranted.

  10. Functional analysis of AtlA, the major N-acetylglucosaminidase of Enterococcus faecalis.

    OpenAIRE

    Eckert , Catherine; Lecerf , Maxime; Dubost , Lionel; Arthur , Michel; Mesnage , Stéphane

    2006-01-01

    International audience; The major peptidoglycan hydrolase of Enterococcus faecalis, AtlA, has been identified, but its enzyme activity remains unknown. We have used tandem mass spectrometry analysis of peptidoglycan hydrolysis products obtained using the purified protein to show that AtlA is an N-acetylglucosaminidase. To gain insight into the regulation of its enzyme activity, the three domains of AtlA were purified alone or in combination following expression of truncated forms of the atlA ...

  11. An agmatine-inducible system for the expression of recombinant proteins in Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linares, Daniel M; Perez, Marta; Ladero, Victor; Del Rio, Beatriz; Redruello, Begoña; Martin, M Cruz; Fernandez, María; Alvarez, Miguel A

    2014-12-04

    Scientific interest in Enterococcus faecalis has increased greatly over recent decades. Some strains are involved in food fermentation and offer health benefits, whereas others are vancomycin-resistant and cause infections that are difficult to treat. The limited availability of vectors able to express cloned genes efficiently in E. faecalis has hindered biotechnological studies on the bacterium's regulatory and pathogenicity-related genes. The agmatine deiminase (AGDI) pathway of E. faecalis, involved in the conversion of agmatine into putrescine, is driven by a response inducer gene aguR. This study describes that the exposure to the induction factor (agmatine) results in the transcription of genes under the control of the aguB promoter, including the aguBDAC operon. A novel E. faecalis expression vector, named pAGEnt, combining the aguR inducer gene and the aguB promoter followed by a cloning site and a stop codon was constructed. pAGEnt was designed for the overexpression and purification of a protein fused to a 10-amino-acid His-tag at the C-terminus. The use of GFP as a reporter of gene expression in E. faecalis revealed that under induction with 60 mM agmatine, fluorescence reached 40 arbitrary units compared to 0 in uninduced cells. pAGEnt vector can be used for the overexpression of recombinant proteins under the induction of agmatine in E. faecalis, with a close correlation between agmatine concentration and fluorescence when GFP was used as reporter.

  12. Antibiotics and heavy metals resistance patterns of Enterococcus faecalis and faecium bacteria isolated from the human and the livestock sources

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    Yaser Sharifi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Enterococci have emerged as a major cause of nosocomial infections and within this group, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium cause the majority of human and livestock enterococcal infections. In this article, we tried to determine antibiotics and metals resistance patterns of E. faecalis and E. faecium strains. Methods: One hundred sixty different strains of E. faecalis and E. faecium were collected from livestock sewage and the human fecal waste during 15 months. Then bacterial antibiotics sensitivity tests were carried out using the Agar disc diffusion method. Results: Generally, 100% of E. faecalis strains separated from human and livestock sources (i.e. sheep showed penicillin (P/ kanamycin (K/ nitrofurantoin (N/ loracarbef (L/ Ciprofloxacin (Cc/ ampicillin (AN/ nalidixic acid (NA/ sulfamethoxazole (S antibiotics resistance patterns. In addition, 55% of isolated E. faecium showed P/S/AN/NA antibiotics resistance patterns. Each strain showed a resistance to at least two aminoglycoside antibiotics. However, E. faecalis strains from human and the livestock sources showed 94% and 100% of resistance to nitrofurantoin, respectively. The effects of different metal concentrations was evaluated in both strains. The agar dilution method was applied in this stage. Hg at 0.05 mmol/L of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC showed toxicity to both the human and livestock Enterococcus strains. Cadmium at 1 mmol/L and 0.5 mmol/L concentrations had the most toxicity to E. faecalis and E. faecium strains, respectively. Obviously, toxicity to bacteria is less than other metals. As a result, Zn/Ni/Cu/Co resistance pattern is suggested for both strains. Finally, antibiotics and heavy metals resistance patterns were monitored simultaneously. Conclusion: Almost all E. faecalis strains isolated from humans and livestock showed antibiotics and heavy metals resistance patterns of P/K/L/Cc/S/AN/NA/Zn/Cu/Co simultaneously. Moreover, 55% of E

  13. Enterococcus faecalis zinc-responsive proteins mediate bacterial defence against zinc overload, lysozyme and oxidative stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C. Abrantes, Marta; Kok, Jan; de Fatima Silva Lopes, Maria

    2014-01-01

    Two Enterococcus faecalis genes encoding the P-type ATPase EF1400 and the putative SapB protein EF0759 were previously shown to be strongly upregulated in the presence of high concentrations of zinc. In the present work, we showed that a Zn(2+)-responsive DNA-binding motif (zim) is present in the

  14. An in-vitro antimicrobial effect of 405 nm laser diode combined with chlorophylls of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. on Enterococcus faecalis

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    Suryani Dyah Astuti

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis is a bacterium commonly detected in the root canals of teeth with post-treatment apical periodontitis or advanced marginal periodontitis. It has the ability to live in an extreme environment and survive as an organism with its virulence factor possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of post-treatment apical and marginal periodontitis. Photodynamic therapy (PDT is an urgently required alternative method of improving therapy effectiveness. Photodynamic therapy combined with conventional endodontic treatment decreases the number of antibioticresistant bacteria and biofilms. Chlorophyll is one of the photosensitizers added to enhance the absorption of light in photodynamic therapy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial effect of the combination of photodynamic laser therapy and Alfalfa chlorophyll in E. faecalis. Methods: In vitro study using E. faecalis distributed between negative control (C- and positive control (C+, treatment groups using various energy doses of a 405 nm diode laser (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20 J/cm2 with (G1 and without alfalfa chlorophyll as organic photosensitizer (G2. The suspension was inoculated on Tryptocase Soy Agar (TSA and incubated at 37° C for 24 hours. The number of colonyforming units per milliliter (CFU/ml was determined. The results were analyzed by ANOVA with p value ≤0.05. Results: A 405 nm irradiating laser with or without a photosensitizer can decrease E. faecalis viability percentage through the administering of various energy doses. The highest decrease (42% was obtained in the group without a photosensitizer using 20 J/cm2, while 10 J/cm2 in the group with a photosensitizer proved the most effective dose (25%. Conclusion: The results of this study showed a decrease in the viability of E. faecalis exposed to a 405 nm (40 mW laser. An irradiating process using a 405 nm laser without a photosensitizer (Alfalfa

  15. Probiotic assessment of Enterococcus faecalis CP58 isolated from human gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nueno-Palop, Carmen; Narbad, Arjan

    2011-02-28

    A total of seventy lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from the faeces of healthy humans and their identities were confirmed by sequencing of their 16S rDNA genes. Of these only 5 isolates were found to resist bile salts and indicated survival in the simulated in vitro digestion assay which reproduces the stomach and intestinal digestion indicating their tolerance to gastric enzymes and the low pH conditions. Species that showed the best resistance to these conditions were: Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus sp., uncultured bifidobacteria, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus anginosus. These strains were investigated further to study their capacity to adhere to human intestinal Caco-2 cells. E. faecalis was the most adherent strain. Examination of the virulence determinants for this strain indicated that it was positive for efaAfs, gelE, agg, cpd, cob, ccf and cad, a profile that is similar to that of many E. faecalis isolates from food sources. The cytolysin biosynthetic genes cylA, cylB and cylM that are more associated with the clinical isolates of E. faecium were not detected in this strain. The antibiotic susceptibility tests indicated that the strain was sensitive to vancomycin, tetracycline, rifampicin and erythromycin but resistant only to kanamycin and chloramphenicol. These data suggest that the strain E. faecalis CP58 may be tested further for beneficial properties and developed as a new probiotic. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Bacillus subtilis as a Platform for Molecular Characterisation of Regulatory Mechanisms of Enterococcus faecalis Resistance against Cell Wall Antibiotics

    OpenAIRE

    Fang, Chong; Stiegeler, Emanuel; Cook, Gregory M.; Mascher, Thorsten; Gebhard, Susanne

    2014-01-01

    To combat antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus faecalis, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms, particularly of antibiotic detection, signal transduction and gene regulation is needed. Because molecular studies in this bacterium can be challenging, we aimed at exploiting the genetically highly tractable Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis as a heterologous host. Two fundamentally different regulators of E. faecalis resistance against cell wall antibiotics, the bacitra...

  17. Isolation and identification of Enterococcus faecalis from necrotic root canals using multiplex PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmoudpour, Ali; Rahimi, Saeed; Sina, Mahmood; Soroush, Mohammad H; Shahi, Shahriar; Shahisa, Shahriar; Asl-Aminabadi, Naser

    2007-09-01

    This study was designed to survey the incidence of Enterococcus faecalis infection in symptomatic and asymptomatic root canals of necrotic teeth using PCR and to isolate the bacterium for further screening. Sixty patients categorized according to their clinical symptoms were used for sampling by insertion of paper points into the root canals and absorbing all the fluids present within them. The samples were incubated in 1.0 ml 2xYT (containing 16 g bacto tryptone, 10 g yeast extract and 5.0 g NaCl per liter) for 24 h at 37 degrees C without aeration prior to multiplex PCR analysis. To assist the isolation of E. faecalis, sub-samples were further grown in the same medium supplemented with 6.5% NaCl and back-inoculated into bile esculin. Using multiple cultivation-dependent and PCR analyses, 6 cases (10%) of E. faecalis were identified. Four isolates were obtained from asymptomatic cases of chronic apical periodontitis, and the other two were associated with phoenix abscess and acute apical abscess, respectively. No E. faecalis infection was found in 5 patients with acute apical periodontitis or in 9 with chronic suppurative periodontitis. Our results indicate that there is no significant difference in the incidence of E. faecalis between symptomatic and asymptomatic necrotic dental root canals (P > 0.05).

  18. Vitality of Enterococcus faecalis inside dentinal tubules after five root canal disinfection methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vatkar, Niranjan Ashok; Hegde, Vivek; Sathe, Sucheta

    2016-01-01

    To compare the vitality of Enterococcus faecalis within dentinal tubules after subjected to five root canal disinfection methods. Dentin blocks (n = 60) were colonized with E. faecalis. After 4 weeks of incubation, the dentin blocks were divided into one control and five test groups (n = 10 each). The root canals of test groups were subjected to one of the disinfection methods, namely, normal saline (NS), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG) laser, and diode laser. The effect of disinfection methods was assessed by LIVE/DEAD BacLight stain under the confocal laser scanning microscopy to determine the "zone of dead bacteria" (ZDB). Mean values were calculated for ZDB and the difference between groups was established. Penetration of E. faecalis was seen to a depth of >1000 μm. Viable bacteria were detected with NS irrigation. NaOCl and CHX showed partial ZDB. When the root canals were disinfected with Nd: YAG and diode lasers, no viable bacteria were found. E. faecalis has the ability to colonize inside dentinal tubules to a depth of >1000 μm. In contrast to conventional irrigants, both Nd: YAG and diode lasers were effective in eliminating the vitality of E. faecalis. NS, NaOCl, and CHX showed viable bacteria remaining in dentinal tubules.

  19. Estudo in vitro da ação antimicrobiana de extratos de plantas contra Enterococcus faecalis In vitro antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: Muitos estudos têm sido realizados para avaliar o potencial terapêutico das plantas. OBJETIVO: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a ação antimicrobiana dos extratos etanólicos da aroeira-da-praia (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, da aroeira-do-sertão (Astronium urundeuva [Fr. All.] Engl., da ameixa-do-mato (Ximenia americana L., da quixabeira (Syderoxylum obtusifolium [Roem et Schult.] e do hipoclorito de sódio (NaOCl a 2,5%, contra o Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212. METODOLOGIA: Foi realizado teste de difusão em ágar, pelo método do poço, utilizando-se como controle positivo a clorexidina a 0,12%. Os microrganismos foram semeados em caldo BHI e incubados a 37ºC por 24 horas. Posteriormente, as suspensões microbianas foram semeadas em placas Petri, com ágar Mueller Hinton, sendo confeccionados seis poços equidistantes. As placas foram mantidas à temperatura ambiente por 2 horas, para ocorrer a pré-difusão das substâncias, e incubadas a 37ºC por 48 horas. Foram feitas as análises e medições dos halos de inibição em triplicata e os resultados foram analisados estatisticamente (teste de análise de variância [ANOVA]. RESULTADOS: A quixabeira apresentou os menores halos de inibição (teste t, p INTRODUCTION: Several studies have evaluated the therapeutic benefits of plants. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ethanol extracts of pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, aroeira (Astronium urundeuva [Fr. All.] Engl., Olacaceae (Ximenia americana L., quixaba (Syderoxylum obtusifolium [Roem et Schult.], and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl 2.5% against Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212. METHODS: The agar diffusion test was performed and 0.12% chlorhexidine was applied as positive control. The microorganisms were allowed to grow in a brain-heart infusion broth (BHI and incubated at 37ºC for 24 hours. Subsequently, the microbial suspensions were seeded on Petri dishes

  20. Horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance from Enterococcus faecium of fermented meat origin to clinical isolates of E. faecium and Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahan, Musarrat; Zhanel, George G; Sparling, Richard; Holley, Richard A

    2015-04-16

    Enterococcus species are part of the normal intestinal flora of a large number of mammals including humans and consequently, they can be used as indicators of faecal contamination in food and water for human consumption. Their presence in large numbers in foods may indicate a lapse in sanitation and their ability to serve as a genetic reservoir of transferable antibiotic resistance is of concern. In the present study, Enterococcus spp., isolated from commercially fermented meat and human clinical specimen were studied to determine genetic relationships. SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns exhibited genomic heterogeneity within and between both groups of isolates. However, in spite of this heterogeneity there were still substantial phenotypic similarities which suggested that food might be a potential vehicle for distribution of resistant bacteria among humans. In vitro conjugation experiments demonstrated transfer of the tetracycline resistant determinant, tet(M), from Enterococcus faecium S27 isolated from fermented sausage to clinical isolates of both E. faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. The streptomycin resistance of E. faecium S27 was also transferred to a clinical strain, E. faecalis 82916, which was confirmed by the presence of the streptomycin resistance gene, aadA, in the donor and transconjugant strains. Since the aadA gene is associated with a class 1 integron, results also suggested that resistance transfer might have occurred via an integron. It appears this is the first identification of a class 1 integron in E. faecium isolated from food. The importance of food enterococci as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes and the potential for their genetic transfer to human strains following consumption of uncooked or undercooked contaminated meat is underlined by this work. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Identification of surface proteins in Enterococcus faecalis V583

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eijsink Vincent GH

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Surface proteins are a key to a deeper understanding of the behaviour of Gram-positive bacteria interacting with the human gastro-intestinal tract. Such proteins contribute to cell wall synthesis and maintenance and are important for interactions between the bacterial cell and the human host. Since they are exposed and may play roles in pathogenicity, surface proteins are interesting targets for drug design. Results Using methods based on proteolytic "shaving" of bacterial cells and subsequent mass spectrometry-based protein identification, we have identified surface-located proteins in Enterococcus faecalis V583. In total 69 unique proteins were identified, few of which have been identified and characterized previously. 33 of these proteins are predicted to be cytoplasmic, whereas the other 36 are predicted to have surface locations (31 or to be secreted (5. Lipid-anchored proteins were the most dominant among the identified surface proteins. The seemingly most abundant surface proteins included a membrane protein with a potentially shedded extracellular sulfatase domain that could act on the sulfate groups in mucin and a lipid-anchored fumarate reductase that could contribute to generation of reactive oxygen species. Conclusions The present proteome analysis gives an experimental impression of the protein landscape on the cell surface of the pathogenic bacterium E. faecalis. The 36 identified secreted (5 and surface (31 proteins included several proteins involved in cell wall synthesis, pheromone-regulated processes, and transport of solutes, as well as proteins with unknown function. These proteins stand out as interesting targets for further investigation of the interaction between E. faecalis and its environment.

  2. Adaptation of Enterococcus faecalis to daptomycin reveals an ordered progression to resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Corwin; Kong, Jiayi; Tran, Truc T; Arias, Cesar A; Saxer, Gerda; Shamoo, Yousif

    2013-11-01

    With increasing numbers of hospital-acquired antibiotic resistant infections each year and staggering health care costs, there is a clear need for new antimicrobial agents, as well as novel strategies to extend their clinical efficacy. While genomic studies have provided a wealth of information about the alleles associated with adaptation to antibiotics, they do not provide essential information about the relative importance of genomic changes, their order of appearance, or potential epistatic relationships between adaptive changes. Here we used quantitative experimental evolution of a single polymorphic population in continuous culture with whole-genome sequencing and allelic frequency measurements to study daptomycin (DAP) resistance in the vancomycin-resistant clinical pathogen Enterococcus faecalis S613. Importantly, we sustained both planktonic and nonplanktonic (i.e., biofilm) populations in coculture as the concentration of antibiotic was raised, facilitating the development of more ecological complexity than is typically observed in laboratory evolution. Quantitative experimental evolution revealed a clear order and hierarchy of genetic changes leading to resistance, the signaling and metabolic pathways responsible, and the relative importance of these mutations to the evolution of DAP resistance. Despite the relative simplicity of this ex vivo approach compared to the ecological complexity of the human body, we showed that experimental evolution allows for rapid identification of clinically relevant adaptive molecular pathways and new targets for drug design in pathogens.

  3. Effect of Salvia chorassanica Root Aqueous, Ethanolic and Hydro Alcoholic Extracts on Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azam Mehraban

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Background Nowadays, through the previous researches, it has become clear that Salvia has important health benefits. Salvia chorassanica is one of the valuable native Iranian species which only grows in Khorasan province, Iran. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Salvia chorassanica root aqueous, ethanolic and hydro alcoholic extracts on Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Methods In this experimental study, maceration method was used to prepare extracts. Study setup was conducted in March 2014.The duration of study setup took for two months. The micro dilution method by ELISA was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC of aqueous, ethanolic and hydro alcoholic extracts of root of Salvia chorassanica against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. The antibacterial effect also was evaluated using agar diffusion method. The inhibition zones of growth against the extracts were measured in comparison to standards antibiotics. Chloramphenicol as positive control on Enterococcus faecalis, Tetracycline on Staphylococcus aureus, Gentamicin on Escherichia coli and Neomycin on Salmonella typhimurium. The data were analyzed using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA with SPSS version 16. Results The highest inhibition zone in diffusion method was related to ethanolic extract of Salvia chorassanica root against Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. The calculated MIC in aqueous and ethanolic extracts of root for Staphylococcus aureus was 240 and 120 mg/mL, for Enterococcus faecalis was 120 and 60 mg/mL respectively, and for Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium was equal to 240 mg/mL. The amount in hydro alcoholic extracts for Gram-positive bacteria was 60 mg/mL and for Gram-negative bacteria was 120 mg/mL. The

  4. Enterococcus faecalis Infection Causes Inflammation, Intracellular Oxphos-Independent ROS Production, and DNA Damage in Human Gastric Cancer Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strickertsson, Jesper A. B; Desler, Claus; Martin-Bertelsen, Tomas

    2013-01-01

    Background Achlorhydria caused by e.g. atrophic gastritis allows for bacterial overgrowth, which induces chronic inflammation and damage to the mucosal cells of infected individuals driving gastric malignancies and cancer. Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) can colonize achlohydric stomachs and we...... therefore wanted to study the impact of E. faecalis infection on inflammatory response, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial genetic stability in gastric mucosal cells. Methods To separate the changes induced by bacteria from those of the inflammatory cells...... we established an in vitro E. faecalis infection model system using the gastric carcinoma cell line MKN74. Total ROS and superoxide was measured by fluorescence microscopy. Cellular oxygen consumption was characterized non-invasively using XF24 microplate based respirometry. Gene expression...

  5. Transcriptomic and functional analysis of NaCl-induced stress in Enterococcus faecalis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margrete Solheim

    Full Text Available The robust physiology of Enterococcus faecalis facilitates tolerance to various stresses. We here report the transcriptional response of E. faecalis V583 to growth in the presence of 6.5% NaCl. Among the early responses observed was an immediate down-regulation of mscL, accompanied by an up-regulation of genes predicted to be involved in uptake of extracellular potassium and glycine betaine. The high NaCl concentration also induced expression of chaperons and cell envelope related traits, such as the enterococcal polysaccharide antigen (epa locus. Functional genetic analysis revealed reduced salt stress resistance in both epaB and epaE mutants. The reduced salt resistance phenotype associated with the epaB mutant was restored by complementation, hence demonstrating a role of Epa in the physiological robustness of E. faecalis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Epa confers increased resistance towards multiple cell envelope stress-inducing factors. Accordingly, these findings delineate a potential link between the robust nature of E. faecalis and its ability to perform as a human pathogen, and provide a new perspective on the mechanisms by which Epa contributes to virulence. Notably, the high NaCl concentration also resulted in strict repression of the gelE-sprE operon and impaired gelatinase activity. We demonstrate that NaCl antagonize the GBAP-pheromone dependent induction in a concentration dependent manner.

  6. Inhibition of initial adhesion of uropathogenic Enterococcus faecalis by biosurfactants from Lactobacillus isolates.

    OpenAIRE

    Velraeds, M M; van der Mei, H C; Reid, G; Busscher, H J

    1996-01-01

    In this study, 15 Lactobacillus isolates were found to produce biosurfactants in the mid-exponential and stationary growth phases. The stationary-phase biosurfactants from lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus 36 and ATCC 7469, Lactobacillus fermentum B54, and Lactobacillus acidophilus RC14 were investigated further to determine their capacity to inhibit the initial adhesion of uropathogenic Enterococcus faecalis 1131 to glass in a parallel-plate flow chamber. The initial deposition rate of E....

  7. A newly isolated probiotic Enterococcus faecalis strain from vagina microbiota enhances apoptosis of human cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nami, Y; Abdullah, N; Haghshenas, B; Radiah, D; Rosli, R; Yari Khosroushahi, A

    2014-08-01

    This study aimed to describe probiotic properties and bio-therapeutic effects of newly isolated Enterococcus faecalis from the human vaginal tract. The Enterococcus faecalis strain was originally isolated from the vaginal microbiota of Iranian women and was molecularly identified using 16SrDNA gene sequencing. Some biochemical methodologies were preliminarily used to characterize the probiotic potential of Ent. faecalis, including antibiotic susceptibility, antimicrobial activity, as well as acid and bile resistance. The bio-therapeutic effects of this strain's secreted metabolites on four human cancer cell lines (AGS, HeLa, MCF-7 and HT-29) and one normal cell line (HUVEC) were evaluated by cytotoxicity assay and apoptosis scrutiny. The characterization results demonstrated into the isolated bacteria strain revealed probiotic properties, such as antibiotic susceptibility, antimicrobial activity and resistance under conditions similar to those in the gastrointestinal tract. Results of bio-therapeutic efficacy assessments illustrated acceptable apoptotic effects on four human cancer cell lines and negligible side effects on assayed normal cell line. Our findings revealed that the apoptotic effect of secreted metabolites mainly depended on proteins secreted by Ent. faecalis on different cancer cells. These proteins can induce the apoptosis of cancer cells. The metabolites produced by this vaginal Ent. faecalis strain can be used as alternative pharmaceutical compounds with promising therapeutic indices because they are not cytotoxic to normal mammalian cells. Accordingly, the physicochemical, structural and functional properties of the secreted anticancer substances should be further investigated before using them as anticancer therapeutics. This study aim to screen total bacterial secreted metabolites as a wealthy source to find the new active compounds to introduce as anticancer therapeutics in the future. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  8. Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of SecA from Enterococcus faecalis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meining, Winfried; Scheuring, Johannes; Fischer, Markus; Weinkauf, Sevil

    2006-01-01

    SecA ATPase from E. faecalis has been cloned, overexpressed, purified and crystallized. Crystals belong to space group C2 and diffract to 2.4 Å resolution. The gene coding for SecA from Enterococcus faecalis was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. In this protein, the lysine at position 6 was replaced by an asparagine in order to reduce sensitivity towards proteases. The modified protein was purified and crystallized. Crystals diffracting to 2.4 Å resolution were obtained using the vapour-diffusion technique. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 203.4, b = 49.8, c = 100.8 Å, α = γ = 90.0, β = 119.1°. A selenomethionine derivative was prepared and is currently being tested in crystallization trials

  9. Inactivation of airborne Enterococcus faecalis and infectious bursal disease virus using a pilot-scale ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation scrubber

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhao, Y.; Aarnink, A.J.A.; Xin, H.

    2014-01-01

    High microbial concentrations and emissions associated with livestock houses raise health and environmental concerns. A pilot-scale ultraviolet photocatalytic (UV-PCO) scrubber was tested for its efficacy to inactivate aerosolized Enterococcus faecalis and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV).

  10. Transport of diamines by Enterococcus faecalis is mediated by an agmatine-putrescine antiporter.

    OpenAIRE

    Driessen, A J; Smid, E J; Konings, W N

    1988-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 11700 is able to use arginine and the diamine agmatine as a sole energy source. Via the highly homologous deiminase pathways, arginine and agmatine are converted into CO2, NH3, and the end products ornithine and putrescine, respectively. In the arginine deiminase pathway, uptake of arginine and excretion of ornithine are mediated by an arginine-ornithine antiport system. The translocation of agmatine was studied in whole cells grown in the presence of arginine, agma...

  11. The cell wall-targeting antibiotic stimulon of Enterococcus faecalis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Abranches

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen that is highly resistant to a variety of environmental insults, including an intrinsic tolerance to antimicrobials that target the cell wall (CW. With the goal of determining the CW-stress stimulon of E. faecalis, the global transcriptional profile of E. faecalis OG1RF exposed to ampicillin, bacitracin, cephalotin or vancomycin was obtained via microarrays. Exposure to the β-lactams ampicillin and cephalotin resulted in the fewest transcriptional changes with 50 and 192 genes differentially expressed 60 min after treatment, respectively. On the other hand, treatment with bacitracin or vancomycin for 60 min affected the expression of, respectively, 377 and 297 genes. Despite the differences in the total number of genes affected, all antibiotics induced a very similar gene expression pattern with an overrepresentation of genes encoding hypothetical proteins, followed by genes encoding proteins associated with cell envelope metabolism as well as transport and binding proteins. In particular, all drug treatments, most notably bacitracin and vancomycin, resulted in an apparent metabolic downshift based on the repression of genes involved in translation, energy metabolism, transport and binding. Only 19 genes were up-regulated by all conditions at both the 30 and 60 min time points. Among those 19 genes, 4 genes encoding hypothetical proteins (EF0026, EF0797, EF1533 and EF3245 were inactivated and the respective mutant strains characterized in relation to antibiotic tolerance and virulence in the Galleria mellonella model. The phenotypes obtained for two of these mutants, ΔEF1533 and ΔEF3245, support further characterization of these genes as potential candidates for the development of novel preventive or therapeutic approaches.

  12. Presence of pathogenicity island genes in Enterococcus faecalis isolates from pigs in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shankar, Nathan; Baghdayan, Arto S.; Willems, Rob

    2006-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis isolates of porcine origin were screened for the presence of a previously identified pathogenicity island (PAI). By using the esp gene as a genetic marker for the presence of this PAI, 9 esp-positive and 10 esp-negative isolates of porcine origin were investigated by use...... of a designed oligonucleotide array. The results indicated the clustering of esp-positive strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), but surprisingly, all strains investigated contained parts of the PAL None of the strains of animal origin investigated belonged to previously identified MLST complex 2, where...... most isolates from patients cluster. Five of the nine esp-positive E. faecalis isolates of animal origin belonged to the same PAI complex as human isolate MMH594 but differed in their sequence types, which strongly indicates the horizontal transfer of the PAI between enterococci of porcine and human...

  13. Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Enterococcus faecalis Isolates from Mineral Water and Spring Water in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Wei

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis is an important opportunistic pathogen which is frequently detected in mineral water and spring water for human consumption and causes human urinary tract infections, endocarditis and neonatal sepsis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, virulence genes, antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of E. faecalis from mineral water and spring water in China. Of 314 water samples collected from January 2013 to January 2014, 48 samples (15.3% were contaminated E. faecalis. The highest contamination rate occurred in activated carbon filtered water of spring water (34.5%, followed by source water of spring water (32.3% and source water of mineral water (6.4%. The virulence gene test of 58 E. faecalis isolates showed that the detection rates of asa1, ace, cylA, gelE and hyl were 79.3, 39.7, 0, 100, 0%, respectively. All 58 E. faecalis isolates were not resistant to 12 kinds of antibiotics (penicillin, ampicillin, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin, vancomycin, gentamicin, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, nitrofurantoin, and tetracycline. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR classified 58 isolates and three reference strains into nine clusters with a similarity of 75%. This study is the first to investigate the prevalence of E. faecalis in mineral water and spring water in China. The results of this study suggested that spring water could be potential vehicles for transmission of E. faecalis.

  14. Enterococcus faecalis Responds to Individual Exogenous Fatty Acids Independently of Their Degree of Saturation or Chain Length.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Holly E; Harp, John R; Fozo, Elizabeth M

    2018-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal of the human gastrointestinal tract that can persist in the external environment and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Given its diverse habitats, the organism has developed numerous strategies to survive a multitude of environmental conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated that E. faecalis will incorporate fatty acids from bile and serum into its membrane, resulting in an induced tolerance to membrane-damaging agents. To discern whether all fatty acids induce membrane stress protection, we examined how E. faecalis responded to individually supplied fatty acids. E. faecalis readily incorporated fatty acids 14 to 18 carbons in length into its membrane but poorly incorporated fatty acids shorter or longer than this length. Supplementation with saturated fatty acids tended to increase generation time and lead to altered cellular morphology in most cases. Further, exogenously supplied saturated fatty acids did not induce tolerance to the membrane-damaging antibiotic daptomycin. Supplementation with unsaturated fatty acids produced variable growth effects, with some impacting generation time and morphology. Exogenously supplied unsaturated fatty acids that are normally produced by E. faecalis and those that are found in bile or serum could restore growth in the presence of a fatty acid biosynthetic inhibitor. However, only the eukaryote-derived fatty acids oleic acid and linoleic acid provided protection from daptomycin. Thus, exogenous fatty acids do not lead to a common physiological effect on E. faecalis The organism responds uniquely to each, and only host-derived fatty acids induce membrane protection. IMPORTANCE Enterococcus faecalis is a commonly acquired hospital infectious agent with resistance to many antibiotics, including those that target its cellular membrane. We previously demonstrated that E. faecalis will incorporate fatty acids found in human fluids, like serum, into its cellular membrane

  15. Transcriptome profiling of TDC cluster deletion mutant of Enterococcus faecalis V583

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    Marta Perez

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The species Enterococcus faecalis is able to catabolise the amino acid tyrosine into the biogenic amine tyramine by the tyrosine decarboxilase (TDC pathway Ladero et al. (2012 [1]. The TDC cluster comprises four genes: tyrS, an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-like gene; tdcA, which encodes the tyrosine decarboxylase; tyrP, a tyrosine/tyramine exchanger gene and nhaC-2, which encodes an Na+/H+ antiporter and whose role in the tyramine biosynthesis remains unknown [2]. In E. faecalis V583 the last three genes are co-transcribed as a single polycistronic mRNA forming the catabolic operon, while tyrS is transcribed independently of the catabolic genes as a monocistronic mRNA [2]. The catabolic operon is transcriptionally induced by tyrosine and acidic pH. On the opposite, the tyrS expression is repressed by tyrosine concentrations [2]. In this work we report the transcriptional profiling of the TDC cluster deletion mutant (E. faecalis V583 ΔTDC [2] compared to the wild-type strain, both grown in M17 medium supplemented with tyrosine. The transcriptional profile data of TDC cluster-regulated genes were deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO database under accession no. GSE77864.

  16. Inhibition of initial adhesion of uropathogenic Enterococcus faecalis by biosurfactants from Lactobacillus isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velraeds, M M; van der Mei, H C; Reid, G; Busscher, H J

    1996-06-01

    In this study, 15 Lactobacillus isolates were found to produce biosurfactants in the mid-exponential and stationary growth phases. The stationary-phase biosurfactants from lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus 36 and ATCC 7469, Lactobacillus fermentum B54, and Lactobacillus acidophilus RC14 were investigated further to determine their capacity to inhibit the initial adhesion of uropathogenic Enterococcus faecalis 1131 to glass in a parallel-plate flow chamber. The initial deposition rate of E. faecalis to glass with an adsorbed biosurfactant layer from L. acidophilus RC14 or L. fermentum B54 was significantly decreased by approximately 70%, while the number of adhering enterococci after 4 h of adhesion was reduced by an average of 77%. The surface activity of the biosurfactants and their activity inhibiting the initial adhesion of E. faecalis 1131 were retained after dialysis (molecular weight cutoff, 6,000 to 8,000) and freeze-drying. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the freeze-dried biosurfactants from L. acidophilus RC14 and L. fermentum B54 were richest in protein, while those from L. casei subsp. rhamnosus 36 and ATCC 7469 had relatively high polysaccharide and phosphate contents.

  17. Growth- and Stress-Induced PASTA Kinase Phosphorylation in Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labbe, Benjamin D; Kristich, Christopher J

    2017-11-01

    Transmembrane Ser/Thr kinases containing extracellular PASTA domains are ubiquitous among Actinobacteria and Firmicutes Such PASTA kinases regulate critical processes, including antibiotic resistance, cell division, toxin production, and virulence, and are essential for viability in certain organisms. Based on in vitro studies with purified extracellular and intracellular fragments of PASTA kinases, a model for signaling has been proposed, in which the extracellular PASTA domains bind currently undefined ligands (typically thought to be peptidoglycan, or fragments thereof) to drive kinase dimerization, which leads to enhanced kinase autophosphorylation and enhanced phosphorylation of substrates. However, this model has not been rigorously tested in vivo Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive intestinal commensal and major antibiotic-resistant opportunistic pathogen. In E. faecalis , the PASTA kinase IreK drives intrinsic resistance to cell wall-active antimicrobials, suggesting that such antimicrobials may trigger IreK signaling. Here we show that IreK responds to cell wall stress in vivo by enhancing its phosphorylation and that of a downstream substrate. This response requires both the extracellular PASTA domains and specific phosphorylatable residues in the kinase domain. Thus, our results provide in vivo evidence, with an intact full-length PASTA kinase in its native physiological environment, that supports the prevailing model of PASTA kinase signaling. In addition, we show that IreK responds to a signal associated with growth and/or cell division, in the absence of cell wall-active antimicrobials. Surprisingly, the ability of IreK to respond to growth and/or division does not require the extracellular PASTA domains, suggesting that IreK monitors multiple parameters for sensory input in vivo IMPORTANCE Transmembrane Ser/Thr kinases containing extracellular PASTA domains are ubiquitous among Actinobacteria and Firmicutes and regulate critical processes. The

  18. Is the mazEF toxin-antitoxin system responsible for vancomycin resistance in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeghifard, Nourkhoda; Soheili, Sara; Sekawi, Zamberi; Ghafourian, Sobhan

    2014-01-01

    The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) and the presence of mazEF toxin-antitoxin (TA) system, which may be useful as target for novel antimicrobial therapy concepts. The susceptibility of E. faecalis was determined by MIC, and the presence of the mazEF TA system was evaluated by PCR. Among 200 E. faecalis isolates 39.5% showed resistance to vancomycin (VRE), while 60.5% were susceptible strains (VSE). The mazEF TA system was positive in all VRE isolates (100%), but less prevalent (38/121, 31.4%) among the 121 VSE strains. In conclusion, our study demonstrated a positive relationship between the presence of vancomycin resistance and mazEF TA system. This observation may introduce therapeutic options against a novel antimicrobial target in enterococci.

  19. Biofilm biomass disruption by natural substances with potential for endodontic use

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávio Rodrigues Ferreira Alves

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available This study evaluated the in vitro effects of four natural substances on the biomass of bacterial biofilms to assess their potential use as root canal irrigants. The following substances and their combinations were tested: 0.2% farnesol; 5% xylitol; 20% xylitol; 0.2% farnesol and 5% xylitol; 0.2% farnesol, 5% xylitol, and 0.1% lactoferrin; 5% xylitol and 0.1% lactoferrin; and 20 mM salicylic acid. The crystal violet assay was used to evaluate the effects of these substances on the biomass of biofilms formed by Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus epidermidis. All substances except for 20 mM salicylic acid and 20% xylitol reduced biofilm mass when compared to controls. The combination of farnesol and xylitol was the most effective agent against E. faecalis ATCC 29212 (p < 0.05. Farnesol combined with xylitol and lactoferrin was the most effective against biofilms of the endodontic strain of E. faecalis MB35 (p < 0.05. Similarly, combinations involving farnesol, xylitol, and lactoferrin reduced the biomass of S. epidermidis biofilms. In general, farnesol, xylitol, and lactoferrin or farnesol and xylitol reduced biofilm biomass most effectively. Therefore, it was concluded that combinations of antibiofilm substances have potential use in endodontic treatment to combat biofilms.

  20. The Fibronectin-Binding Protein EfbA Contributes to Pathogenesis and Protects against Infective Endocarditis Caused by Enterococcus faecalis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Kavindra V.; La Rosa, Sabina Leanti; Somarajan, Sudha R.; Roh, Jung Hyeob

    2015-01-01

    EfbA is a PavA-like fibronectin adhesin of Enterococcus faecalis previously shown to be important in experimental urinary tract infection. Here, we expressed and purified the E. faecalis OG1RF EfbA and confirmed that this protein binds with high affinity to immobilized fibronectin, collagen I, and collagen V. We constructed an efbA deletion mutant and demonstrated that its virulence was significantly attenuated (P endocarditis model. Furthermore, efbA deletion resulted in diminished ability to bind fibronectin (P endocarditis (P = 0.008 versus control). Taken together, our results demonstrate that EfbA is an important factor involved in E. faecalis endocarditis and that rEfbA immunization is effective in preventing such infection, likely by interfering with bacterial adherence. PMID:26351286

  1. Ex vivo evaluation of three instrumentation techniques on E. faecalis biofilm within oval shaped root canals

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    Vitor Cesar NAKAMURA

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of reciprocating instrumentation in disinfecting oval-shaped root canals infected with Enterococcus faecalis. Forty-five human lower premolars were infected with a culture of E. faecalis (ATCC 29212 for 28 days. Five other teeth that were neither contaminated nor instrumented were used as controls. The 45 specimens were divided into three experimental groups (n = 15 based on the root canal preparation technique used: manual (K-type, Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland; rotary (MTwo, VDW GmbH, Munich, Germany; and reciprocating (Reciproc R50, VDW GmbH, Munich, Germany instruments. During chemomechanical preparation, 21 mL of 2.5% NaOCl was used as the irrigating solution. Microbiological sampling was performed before (S1 and immediately after (S2 the chemomechanical preparation using sterilized paper points. Specimens were then cleaved, and 0.02 g of dentine chips was collected from the root thirds to verify the presence of microorganisms in dentinal tubules. All three preparation techniques reduced the number of microorganisms in the root canal lumen and dentine chips from the root thirds, but no significant differences were observed between the three groups (p > 0.05. Reciprocating instrumentation with Reciproc R50 was effective in reducing the number of microorganisms within the root canal system. Although this technique involves the use of only one file to perform the root canal therapy, it is as effective as conventional rotary instrumentation in reducing theE. faecalis biofilm from the root canal system. However, further clinical investigations are warranted in order to ratify these results.

  2. The Enterococcus faecalis exoproteome: identification and temporal regulation by Fsr.

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    Jayendra Shankar

    Full Text Available Analysis of the culture supernatant exoproteins produced by two PFGE clusters of high-level gentamicin and ciprofloxacin-resistant clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis from the UK and Ireland revealed two distinct protein profiles. This grouping distinguished OG1RF and GelE metalloprotease-expressing isolates from JH2-2 and other GelE-negative isolates. The integrity of the fsrABDC operon was found to determine the exoproteome composition, since an fsrB mutant of strain OG1RF appeared very similar to that of strain JH2-2, and complementation of the latter with the fsrABDC operon produced an OG1RF-like exoproteome. The proteins present in the supernatant fraction of OG1RF were separated using 2D gels and identified by mass spectrometry and comprised many mass and pI variants of the GelE and SprE proteases. In addition cell wall synthesis and cell division proteins were identified. An OG1RF fsrB mutant had a distinct exoprotein fraction with an absence of the Fsr-regulated proteases and was characterised by general stress and glycolytic proteins. The exoproteome of the OG1RF fsrB mutant resembles that of a divIVA mutant of E. faecalis, suggestive of a stress phenotype.

  3. Global regulation of gene expression by the MafR protein of Enterococcus faecalis

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    Sofía eRuiz-Cruz

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis is a natural inhabitant of the human gastrointestinal tract. However, as an opportunistic pathogen, it is able to colonize other host niches and cause life-threatening infections. Its adaptation to new environments involves global changes in gene expression. The EF3013 gene (here named mafR of E. faecalis strain V583 encodes a protein (MafR, 482 residues that has sequence similarity to global response regulators of the Mga/AtxA family. The enterococcal OG1RF genome also encodes the MafR protein (gene OG1RF_12293. In this work, we have identified the promoter of the mafR gene using several in vivo approaches. Moreover, we show that MafR influences positively the transcription of many genes on a genome-wide scale. The most significant target genes encode components of PTS-type membrane transporters, components of ABC-type membrane transporters, and proteins involved in the metabolism of carbon sources. Some of these genes were previously reported to be up-regulated during the growth of E. faecalis in blood and/or in human urine. Furthermore, we show that a mafR deletion mutant strain induces a significant lower degree of inflammation in the peritoneal cavity of mice, suggesting that enterococcal cells deficient in MafR are less virulent. Our work indicates that MafR is a global transcriptional regulator. It might facilitate the adaptation of E. faecalis to particular host niches and, therefore, contribute to its potential virulence.

  4. Conjugal transfer of plasmid pAM beta 1 in Lactobacillus reuteri and between lactobacilli and Enterococcus faecalis.

    OpenAIRE

    Tannock, G W

    1987-01-01

    The broad-host-range plasmid pAM beta 1 (erythromycin resistance) was transferred conjugally from Streptococcus lactis to Lactobacillus reuteri, L. murinus, and L. fermentum. Transfer of pAM beta 1 between two L. reuteri strains occurred, and lactobacillus transconjugants could act as donors of pAM beta 1 in crosses with Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2.

  5. Draft Genome Sequences of the Probiotic Enterococcus faecalis Symbioflor 1 Clones DSM16430 and DSM16434

    OpenAIRE

    Fritzenwanker, Moritz; Chakraborty, Anindita; Hain, Torsten; Zimmermann, Kurt; Domann, Eugen

    2016-01-01

    The probiotic Symbioflor 1 is a historical concoction of 10 isolates of Enterococcus faecalis. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed two groups: one comprising eight identical clones (DSM16430, DSM16432, DSM16433, DSM16435 to DSM16439) and a further two isolates (DSM16431, DSM16434) with marginally different profiles. Here, we report a comparative analysis of the draft genome sequences of representative isolates.

  6. Enterococcus faecalis Endogenous Endophthalmitis from Valvular Endocarditis

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    Sidnei Barge

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a case of a 74-year-old female, with a mitral heart valve, who presented with pain and blurred vision in the right eye for 2 days. Her visual acuity was light perception (LP in the right eye and 20/40 in the left eye. Slit lamp examination showed corneal edema and hypopyon, and a view of the right fundus was impossible. Echography showed vitreous condensation. One day after presentation, the patient developed acute lung edema requiring hospitalization, so she was not submitted to vitreous tap and intravitreal treatment. The cardiac and systemic evaluations revealed a mitral endocarditis secondary to Enterococcus faecalis. The patient improved systemically with treatment with gentamicin, vancomycin, and linezolid. Her visual acuity remained as no LP, and her intraocular pressure (IOP has been controlled with brimonidine bid despite developing a total cataract with 360° posterior synechia. A cardiac source for endogenous endophthalmitis should be considered in the presence of a prosthetic cardiac valve. The treatment and followup must be made in cooperation with a cardiologist specialist, but the ophthalmologist can play a key role in the diagnosis.

  7. Complete Genome Sequence of Enterococcus faecalis Strain P8-1 Isolated from Wild Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) Feces on the South Coast of Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prichula, Janira; Campos, Fabricio Souza; Pereira, Rebeca Inhoque; Cardoso, Leonardo Almansa; Wachholz, Guilherme Raffo; Pieta, Luiza; Mariot, Roberta Fogliatto; de Moura, Tiane Martin; Tavares, Maurício; d’Azevedo, Pedro Alves; Frazzon, Ana Paula Guedes

    2016-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis strains have a ubiquitous nature that allows them to survive in different niches. Studies involving enterococci isolated from marine animals are scarce. Therefore, in this study, we report the complete genome sequence of E. faecalis strain P8-1 isolated from feces of a Magellanic penguin on the south coast of Brazil. PMID:26769928

  8. Contribution of the autolysin AtlA to the bactericidal activity of amoxicillin against Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bravetti, Anne-Lise; Mesnage, Stéphane; Lefort, Agnès; Chau, Françoise; Eckert, Catherine; Garry, Louis; Arthur, Michel; Fantin, Bruno

    2009-04-01

    The bactericidal activity of amoxicillin was investigated against Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 and against an isogenic mutant deficient in the production of the N-acetylglucosaminidase AtlA. Comparison of the two strains indicated that this autolysin contributes to killing by amoxicillin both in vitro and in a rabbit model of experimental endocarditis.

  9. Evaluation of antibacterial efficacy of fungal-derived silver nanoparticles against Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiran Rahul Halkai

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The main objective of endodontic therapy is complete elimination and prevention of bacteria from the root canal system; however, it is difficult due to anatomical ramifications of root canal system and growing resistant microbes to available disinfectants. Therefore, to overcome this problem, newer antimicrobial agents have to be developed. Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of fungal-derived biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs against Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: Freshly prepared silver nanoparticles using the endophytic fungi Fusarium semitectum, characterized by different techniques were used to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy against E. faecalis by agar well diffusion method measuring the zone of inhibition using different concentrations of nanoparticles (AgNPs (A [20 μl], B [40 μl], C [60 μl], D [80 μl], and E [100 μl], F (0.2% chlorhexidine [CHX], G (2% CHX, H (ampicillin, and I (distilled water were used as control groups. Statistical Analysis Used: One-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukey multiple comparison test was done. Results: AgNPs (100 ml showed highest zone of inhibition 19.5 mm against E. faecalis. CHX (0.2% 14.52 mm, CHX (2% 20.02 mm, and ampicillin showed highest mean zone of inhibition 20.5 mm and distilled water showed no zone of inhibition. Results indicate no significant difference between E (100 μl, G (2% CHX, and H (ampicillin (P < 0.0001. Conclusions: Biosynthesized AgNPs exhibit efficient antibacterial activity against E. faecalis and therefore can be used as root canal irrigant or intracanal medicament for root canal disinfection.

  10. Isolation and characterization of enterocin W, a novel two-peptide lantibiotic produced by Enterococcus faecalis NKR-4-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawa, Naruhiko; Wilaipun, Pongtep; Kinoshita, Seisuke; Zendo, Takeshi; Leelawatcharamas, Vichien; Nakayama, Jiro; Sonomoto, Kenji

    2012-02-01

    Enterococcus faecalis NKR-4-1 isolated from pla-ra produces a novel two-peptide lantibiotic, termed enterocin W, comprising Wα and Wβ. The structure of enterocin W exhibited similarity with that of plantaricin W. The two peptides acted synergistically, and their order of binding to the cell membrane was important for their inhibitory activity.

  11. Partial purification and characterization of the mode of action of enterocin S37: a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis S37 isolated from poultry feces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belguesmia, Y; Choiset, Y; Prévost, H; Dalgalarrondo, M; Chobert, J-M; Drider, D

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this research was to purify and characterize the mode of action of enterocin S37, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis S37, a strain recently isolated from the chicken feces. Enterocin S37 has a molecular weight comprised between 4 and 5 kDa. It remained active after 1 h at 80(o)C and at pH values ranging from 4.0 to 9.0. Furthermore, cell-free supernatant of Enterococcus faecalis S37 and purified enterocin S37 were active against Gram-positive bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes EGDe, L. innocua F, Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2, and Lactobacillus brevis F145. The purification of enterocin S37 was performed by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed up by hydrophobic-interaction chromatography procedures. Treatment of enterocin S37 with proteinase K, alpha-chymotrypsin, and papain confirmed its proteinaceous nature, while its treatment with lysozyme and lipase resulted in no alteration of activity. Enterocin S37 is hydrophobic, anti-Listeria and likely acting by depletion of intracellular K(+) ions upon action on K(ATP) channels. This study contributed to gain more insights into the mode of action of enterocins.

  12. Partial Purification and Characterization of the Mode of Action of Enterocin S37: A Bacteriocin Produced by Enterococcus faecalis S37 Isolated from Poultry Feces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Belguesmia

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to purify and characterize the mode of action of enterocin S37, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis S37, a strain recently isolated from the chicken feces. Enterocin S37 has a molecular weight comprised between 4 and 5 kDa. It remained active after 1 h at 80oC and at pH values ranging from 4.0 to 9.0. Furthermore, cell-free supernatant of Enterococcus faecalis S37 and purified enterocin S37 were active against Gram-positive bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes EGDe, L. innocua F, Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2, and Lactobacillus brevis F145. The purification of enterocin S37 was performed by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed up by hydrophobic-interaction chromatography procedures. Treatment of enterocin S37 with proteinase K, -chymotrypsin, and papain confirmed its proteinaceous nature, while its treatment with lysozyme and lipase resulted in no alteration of activity. Enterocin S37 is hydrophobic, anti-Listeria and likely acting by depletion of intracellular K+ ions upon action on KATP channels. This study contributed to gain more insights into the mode of action of enterocins.

  13. A comparison of the antibacterial activity of the two methods of photodynamic therapy (using diode laser 810 nm and LED lamp 630 nm) against Enterococcus faecalis in extracted human anterior teeth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asnaashari, Mohammad; Mojahedi, Seyed Masoud; Asadi, Zahra; Azari-Marhabi, Saranaz; Maleki, Alireza

    2016-03-01

    Failure of endodontic treatment is usually due to an inadequate disinfection of the root canal system. Enterococcus faecalis has been widely used as a valuable microbiological marker for in-vitro studies because of its ability to colonize in a biofilm like style in root canals, invading dentinal tubules and resistance to some endodontic treatments. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of two methods of photodynamic therapy using a light emitting diode lamp (LED lamp, 630 nm) and a diode laser (810 nm) on E. faecalis biofilms in anterior extracted human teeth. Fifty six single-rooted extracted teeth were used in this study. After routine root canal cleansing, shaping and sterilization, the teeth were incubated with E. faecalis for a period of two weeks. Teeth were then divided into two experimental groups (nu=23) and two control groups (nu=5). Teeth in one experimental group were exposed to a diode laser (810 nm), and in the other group samples were exposed to a LED lamp (630 nm). Intracanal bacterial sampling was done, and bacterial survival rate was then evaluated for each group. The Colony Forming Unit (CFU) in LED group (log10 CFUs=4.88±0.82) was significantly lower than the laser group (log CFUs=5.49±0.71) (p value=0.021). CFUs in positive control group (Log10 CFUs=10.96±0.44) were significantly higher than the treatment group (p˂0.001). No bacterial colony was found in negative control group. The results of this research show that photodynamic therapy could be an effective supplement in root canal disinfection. PDT using LED lamp was more effective than diode laser 810 nm in reducing CFUs of E. faecalis in human teeth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Differential effector responses by circulating/blood and tissue/peritoneal neutrophils following burn combined with Enterococcus faecalis infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazal, Nadeem; Shelip, Alla; Siddiqui, Erum; Ali, Ashraf; Azim, Anser C; Al-Ghoul, Walid M

    2012-03-01

    Recently we found that superimposition of Enterococcus faecalis infection on burn injury caused an eruption of host mortality not seen with either individual challenge. We hypothesized that the Enterococcus bacteria, and/or factors related to these organisms, aggravate burn-induced modulations in host defense by neutrophils. Our study focuses on alterations in neutrophils' oxidative, proteolytic, and adhesive functions and transendothelial migration of neutrophils in burn rats inoculated with E. faecalis. Rats were subjected to burn (30% total body surface area) and then intra-abdominally inoculated with E. faecalis (10(4)CFU kg(-1) b.w). Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were harvested from circulating/blood and tissue/peritoneal cavity at day-2 post injury. Extracellular release of O(-)(2) anion production was determined by luminometry, and intracellular production of reactive oxygen species was measured by digital imaging technique. Fluoroscan analysis and confocal microscopy determined intracellular elastase production. The expression of adhesion molecule CD11b/CD18 was performed by flow cytometry. Calcein AM-labeled PMNs were co-cultured with TNF-α-stimulated rat lung microvascular endothelial cells, and their ability to adhere was assessed by fluorometry and digital imaging and finally, chemotaxis was measured by neutrophil transmigration assays. The results showed differential effector responses by circulatory and/or tissue PMNs. Tissue/peritoneal PMNs produced more O(-)(2), less intracellular elastase, and increased expression of CD11b/CD18 accompanied with increased adhesivity of MIP-2-stimulated PMNs to endothelial cells as compared to circulatory/blood PMNs. This differential effect was more pronounced following burn plus E. faecalis infection, indicating that the combined injury changed neutrophil functions. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The role of inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in teeth periapical lesions immunopathogenesis caused by Enterococcus faecalis

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    Tamara Yuanita

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Periapical lesions, are characterized by an immune response to the invading bacteria consequences periapical bone destruction. In root canal treatment failure was found Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis as most species. iNOS found an important role in protection against infection, plays vital roles in fighting pathogens and contributing to disease pathology. Purpose: This study was to observed the role of iNOS in teeth periapical lessions immunopathogenesis caused by E. faecalis. Methods: The randomized post-only control group design used in this study, This study used 24 Wistar rats, were divided into three groups (each group consisted of 8 rats, as negative controls group is a normal teeth, in the positive controls group was made by drilling the upper right first molar to penetrate the dental pulp and was induced with 10µl BHI-b then filled with Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC and the treatment group, after drilling the teeth, then inoculated with E. faecalis ATCC 29212 106 CFU into 10µl BHI-b then filled with GIC to prevent contamination. It takes 21 days to get periapical lesions and rat were sacrificed, and then the expression of iNOS was measured. Results: Statistical analysis using ANOVA found a significant differenced between control and treatment groups (p<0.05. Conclusion: This study concluded that iNOS role in teeth periapical lesions immunopathogenesis caused by E. faecalis.Latar belakang: Lesi periapikal merupakan hasil suatu respon imun untuk melawan invasi bakteri yang mengakibatkan destruksi tulang periapikal. Pada perawatan saluran akar yang mengalami kegagalan ditemukan Enterococcus faecalis sebagai spesies terbanyak. iNOS berperan penting untuk proteksi terhadap bakteri, mempunyai peran yang vital untuk melawan patogen dan berkonstribusi secara patologik untuk menyebabkan suatu penyakit. Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengobservasi peran iNOS secara imunohistokimia pada lesi periapikal tikus Wistar. Metode

  16. Effect of pheromone induction on transfer of the Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10 in intestinal mucus ex vivo

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Licht, Tine Rask; Hammerum, Anette Marie; Jensen, Lars Bogø

    2001-01-01

    The effect of synthetic sex pheromone on pheromone-inducible conjugation between the isogenic Enterococcus faecalis strains OG1RF and OG1SS was investigated in (i) Todd-Hewitt broth medium and (ii) intestinal mucus isolated from germ-free rats. In broth, the presence of synthetic pheromone cCF10...

  17. The VanE operon in Enterococcus faecalis N00-410 is found on a putative integrative and conjugative element, Tn6202.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyd, D A; Mulvey, M R

    2013-02-01

    To date no complete genetic structure of acquired DNA harbouring a d-Ala-d-Ser operon in an Enterococcus is known. We wished to characterize the acquired DNA harbouring the vanE operon located in the Enterococcus faecalis N00-410 chromosome. Whole genome sequencing of E. faecalis N00-410 was conducted by massively parallel sequencing. Two sequence contigs harbouring the vanE region were linked by PCR and the acquired DNA harbouring the vanE operon was completely characterized. Excision/integration of the region was determined by PCR and transfer attempted by conjugation. The regions flanking the vanE operon were analysed and a total of 42 open reading frames were identified in a region flanked by inverted terminal and direct repeats (Tn6202). Tn6202 could be excised from the chromosome, circularized and the target site rejoined, but transfer could not be demonstrated. The vanE operon was found on the putative integrative and conjugative element Tn6202 in the E. faecalis N00-410 chromosome. This represents the first characterization of acquired DNA harbouring a D-Ala-D-Ser operon.

  18. An in vivo evaluation of antimicrobial effects of Persica herbal mouthwash on Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leila Shafiei Bafti

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND AIM: Due to their antimicrobial and dental plaque control activity, mouthwashes lead to an improvement in oral health. Although chemical mouthwashes have demonstrated the greatest antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, their usage has been limited because of their numerous side effects. This study was conducted in vivo to determine the antibacterial and antifungal effects of Persica herbal mouthwash containing Salvadore persica, mint, and yarrow in comparison with a placebo. METHODS: In this experimental, single-blind study, 80 dentistry students, who were eager to participate in the study, were randomly allocated into two groups of forty. One group was given Persica while the other group received a placebo. They were asked to apply the mouthwash twice a day for four weeks. The participants were unaware of the mouthwash type. Saliva sampling was conducted in all cases before and after mouthwash application and the samples were dispatched to a laboratory for microbial culture (Sabouraud and Clark-Kenner media culture. After two weeks, the washout times in groups were swapped with each other and the sampling was conducted just like before. Finally, the data were analyzed using independent and paired t-test. P values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 23.20 ± 4.14. Persica mouthwash significantly decreased the count of Candida albicans (1.43 ± 0.15 to 0.8 ± 0.35 (P < 0.001 and Enterococcus faecalis (0.93 ± 1.76 to 0.71 ± 2.10 (P = 0.008. CONCLUSION: The statistical tests revealed that applying Persica mouthwash would result in a significant decrease in the Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis count. Regarding the significant and desirable effect of Persica on Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis, and its herbal origin, its application could be suggested to reduce oral microbes and infections from fungi and enterococci.

  19. Biochemical characterization of an anti-Candida factor produced by Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shekh Raeesh M

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Because Candida albicans is resistant to several antifungal antibiotics, there is a need to identify other less toxic natural products, particularly antimicrobial proteins, peptides or bacteriocin like inhibitory substances. An attempt has been made to purify and characterise an anti-Candida compound produced by Enterococcus faecalis. Results An anti-Candida protein (ACP produced by E. faecalis active against 8 C. albicans strains was characterised and partially purified. The ACP showed a broad-spectrum activity against multidrug resistant C. albicans MTCC 183, MTCC 7315, MTCC 3958, NCIM 3557, NCIM 3471 and DI. It was completely inactivated by treatment with proteinase K and partially by pronase E. The ACP retained biological stability after heat-treatment at 90°C for 20 min, maintained activity over a pH range 6–10, and remained active after treatment with α-amylase, lipase, organic solvents, and detergents. The antimicrobial activity of the E. faecalis strain was found exclusively in the extracellular filtrate produced in the late logarithmic growth phase. The highest activity (1600 AU mL-1 against C. albicans MTCC 183 was recorded at 48 h of incubation, and activity decreased thereafter. The peptide showed very low haemagglutination and haemolytic activities against human red blood cells. The antimicrobial substance was purified by salt-fractionation and chromatography. Partially purified ACP had a molecular weight of approximately 43 KDa in Tricine-PAGE analysis. The 12 amino acid N terminal sequence was obtained by Edman degradation. The peptide was de novo sequenced by ESI-MS, and the deduced combined sequence when compared to other bacteriocins and antimicrobial peptide had no significant sequence similarity. Conclusions The inhibitory activity of the test strain is due to the synthesis of an antimicrobial protein. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the isolation of a promising non-haemolytic anti

  20. Antibacterial effect of triantibiotic mixture, chlorhexidine gel, and two natural materials Propolis and Aloe vera against Enterococcus faecalis: An ex vivo study

    OpenAIRE

    Bazvand, Leila; Aminozarbian, Mohammad Ghasem; Farhad, Alireza; Noormohammadi, Hamid; Hasheminia, Seyed Mohsen; Mobasherizadeh, Sina

    2014-01-01

    Background: The aim of this ex vivo study was to compare the antimicrobial effect of triantibiotic paste, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis in deep dentin. Materials and Methods: Ninety fresh extracted single-rooted teeth were used in a dentin block model. Seventy-five teeth were infected with E. faecalis and divided into four experimental groups (n = 15). Experimental groups were treated with triantibiotic mixture with distilled water, 0.2% chlorhexi...

  1. Enterococcus faecalis Infection and Reactive Oxygen Species Down-Regulates the miR-17-92 Cluster in Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cell Culture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strickertsson, Jesper A B; Rasmussen, Lene Juel; Friis-Hansen, Lennart

    2014-01-01

    Chronic inflammation due to bacterial overgrowth of the stomach predisposes to the development of gastric cancer and is also associated with high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In recent years increasing attention has been drawn to microRNAs (miRNAs) due to their role in the pathogenesis...... of many human diseases including gastric cancer. Here we studied the impact of infection by the gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) on global miRNA expression as well as the effect of ROS on selected miRNAs. Human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line MKN74 was infected with living E...... by living E. faecalis bacteria caused a significant global response in miRNA expression in the MKN74 cell culture. E. faecalis infection as well as ROS stimulation down-regulated the expression of the miR-17-92 cluster. We believe that these changes could reflect a general response of gastric epithelial...

  2. Characterization and application of enterocin RM6, a bacteriocin from Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, En; Zhang, Liwen; Chung, Yoon-Kyung; Zheng, Zuoxing; Yousef, Ahmed E

    2013-01-01

    Use of bacteriocins in food preservation has received great attention in recent years. The goal of this study is to characterize enterocin RM6 from Enterococcus faecalis OSY-RM6 and investigate its efficacy against Listeria monocytogenes in cottage cheese. Enterocin RM6 was purified from E. faecalis culture supernatant using ion exchange column, multiple C18-silica cartridges, followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of enterocin RM6 is 7145.0823 as determined by mass spectrometry (MS). Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis revealed that enterocin RM6 is a 70-residue cyclic peptide with a head-to-tail linkage between methionine and tryptophan residues. The peptide sequence of enterocin RM6 was further confirmed by sequencing the structural gene of the peptide. Enterocin RM6 is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including L. monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Enterocin RM6 (final concentration in cottage cheese, 80 AU/mL) caused a 4-log reduction in population of L. monocytogenes inoculated in cottage cheese within 30 min of treatment. Therefore, enterocin RM6 has potential applications as a potent antimicrobial peptide against foodborne pathogens in food.

  3. Diode Laser and Calcium Hydroxide for Elimination of Enterococcus Faecalis in Root Canal

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    Neda Naghavi

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The ultimate goal of endodontic treatment is to eliminate the bacterial infection in the root canal system. While mechanical debridement combined with chemical irrigation removes the bulk of microorganisms, residual bacteria are readily detectable in approximately one-half of teeth just prior to obturation. Laser light can be used to destroy bacteria. This in vitro study was performed to evaluate the effect of diode laser and calcium hydroxide on mono-infected dental canals.Methods: Fifty five single-rooted human premolars were prepared and contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis. After three weeks of incubation, the samples were divided into three experimental groups (n = 15 and two control groups (n = 5. In the first and second groups, the teeth were rinsed for 5 min with either sterile saline or 5.25% NaOCl and irradiated with a 810-nm diode laser at 1.5 W output for 5 × 4s. In the third group, the teeth were rinsed with 5.25% NaOCl and then Ca(OH2 paste was inserted in the canals for 1 week. Intracanal bacterial sampling was done and the samples were plated to determine the CFU count. Results: 5.25% NaOCl plus laser was as effective as calcium hydroxide and significantly more effective than sterile saline (P>0.05 in elimination of E. faecalis. Complete elimination of E. faecalis was seen only for the one week calcium hydroxide treatment. Conclusion: Combination therapy with NaOCl irrigation and diode laser irradiation can be recommended as an effective treatment option for elimination of E. faecalis from the root canal system.

  4. Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Tribulus terrestris, Allium sativum, Salvia officinalis, and Allium hirtifolium Boiss Against Enterococcus faecalis

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    Seyed Amir Razavi Satvati

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive, commensal bacterium which can cause life-threatening infections in humans. E. faecalis has been frequently found in root canal-treated teeth and is resistant to many commonly used antimicrobial agents. Nowadays modern medicine recognizes herbalism as a form of alternative medicine. Tribulus terrestris, Allium sativum, Salvia officinalis and Allium hirtifolium Boiss are commonly found in Iran and used as antimicrobial agents in folklore medicine. Objectives: In this study, antimicrobial activities of aqueous extracts of some plants were examined in vitro against E. faecalis. Materials and Methods: Antibacterial activities of the extracts of T. terrestris, A. sativum, S. officinalis and A. hirtifolium Boiss were examined using disc and well diffusion methods, and the19 minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of aqueous extracts were determined against E. faecalis using agar and broth dilution methods. Results: The obtained results showed that the extract of A. hirtifolium Boiss inhibited the growth of E. faecalis (MIC of 10 mg/mL. Other plants had no effect on the target bacterium. Conclusion: According to the best effect of A. hirtifolium extract on E. faecalis and stability of this extract in thermal condition, we may purify this extract and use it for treatment of infections.

  5. Convergence of PASTA kinase and two-component signaling in response to cell wall stress in Enterococcus faecalis.

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    Kellogg, Stephanie L; Kristich, Christopher J

    2018-04-09

    Two common signal transduction mechanisms used by bacteria to sense and respond to changing environments are two-component systems (TCSs) and eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr kinases and phosphatases (eSTK/Ps). Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive bacterium and serious opportunistic pathogen that relies on both a TCS and an eSTK/P pathway for intrinsic resistance to cell wall-targeting antibiotics. The TCS consists of a histidine kinase (CroS) and response regulator (CroR) that become activated upon exposure of cells to cell wall-targeting antibiotics, leading to modulation of gene expression. The eSTK/P pathway consists of a transmembrane kinase (IreK) and its cognate phosphatase (IreP), which act antagonistically to mediate antibiotic resistance through an unknown mechanism. Because both CroS/R and IreK/P contribute to enterococcal resistance towards cell wall-targeting antibiotics, we hypothesized these signaling systems are intertwined. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed CroR phosphorylation and CroS/R-dependent gene expression to probe the influence of IreK and IreP on CroS/R signaling. In addition, we analyzed the phosphorylation state of CroS which revealed IreK-dependent phosphorylation of a Thr residue important for CroS function. Our results are consistent with a model in which IreK positively influences CroR-dependent gene expression through phosphorylation of CroS to promote antimicrobial resistance in E. faecalis Importance Two-component signaling systems (TCSs) and eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr kinases (eSTKs) are used by bacteria to sense and adapt to changing environments. Understanding how these pathways are regulated to promote bacterial survival is critical for a more complete understanding of bacterial stress responses and physiology. The opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis relies on both a TCS (CroS/R) and an eSTK (IreK) for intrinsic resistance to cell wall-targeting antibiotics. We probed the relationship between CroS/R and IreK, revealing

  6. Hydrogen Sulfide Sensing through Reactive Sulfur Species (RSS) and Nitroxyl (HNO) in Enterococcus faecalis.

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    Shen, Jiangchuan; Walsh, Brenna J C; Flores-Mireles, Ana Lidia; Peng, Hui; Zhang, Yifan; Zhang, Yixiang; Trinidad, Jonathan C; Hultgren, Scott J; Giedroc, David P

    2018-05-17

    Recent studies of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) signaling implicate low molecular weight (LMW) thiol persulfides and other reactive sulfur species (RSS) as signaling effectors. Here, we show that a CstR protein from the human pathogen Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis), previously identified in Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus), is an RSS-sensing repressor that transcriptionally regulates a cst-like operon in response to both exogenous sulfide stress and Angeli's salt, a precursor of nitroxyl (HNO). E. faecalis CstR reacts with coenzyme A persulfide (CoASSH) to form interprotomer disulfide and trisulfide bridges between C32 and C61', which negatively regulate DNA binding to a consensus CstR DNA operator. A Δ cstR strain exhibits deficiency in catheter colonization in a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) mouse model, suggesting sulfide regulation and homeostasis is critical for pathogenicity. Cellular polysulfide metabolite profiling of sodium sulfide-stressed E. faecalis confirms an increase in both inorganic polysulfides and LMW thiols and persulfides sensed by CstR. The cst-like operon encodes two authentic thiosulfate sulfurtransferases and an enzyme we characterize here as an NADH and FAD-dependent coenzyme A (CoA) persulfide reductase (CoAPR) that harbors an N-terminal CoA disulfide reductase (CDR) domain and a C-terminal rhodanese homology domain (RHD). Both cysteines in the CDR (C42) and RHD (C508) domains are required for CoAPR activity and complementation of a sulfide-induced growth phenotype of a S. aureus strain lacking cstB, encoding a nonheme Fe II persulfide dioxygenase. We propose that S. aureus CstB and E. faecalis CoAPR employ orthogonal chemistries to lower CoASSH that accumulates under conditions of cellular sulfide toxicity and signaling.

  7. Sensibilidad antimicrobiana in vitro en aislamientos de Enterococcus faecalis y Enterococcus faecium obtenidos de pacientes hospitalizados

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    Manuel Medell

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Introducción. Actualmente se considera a Enterococcus spp. como uno de los agentes de infección hospitalaria más importantes, siendo su resistencia a los antibióticos un problema importante en los centros de salud. Objetivos. Caracterizar la resistencia antimicrobiana en 50 cepas de Enterococcus spp. aisladas de muestras clínicas de pacientes hospitalizados. Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio de tipo descriptivo observacional de corte transversal en 50 aislamientos clínicos de estas especies microbianas. Se trabajó un aislamiento por paciente. La identificación y la sensibilidad a los antibióticos se realizaron por métodos automatizados y convencionales. El análisis fenotípico de los mecanismos de resistencia a glucopéptidos se hizo según las recomendaciones de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. Resultados. De 50 aislamientos, 30 (60,0 % y 20 (40,0 % pertenecían a las especies de Enterococcus faecalis y Enterococcus faecium, respectivamente. La resistencia global expresada por este género fue de 38/50 (76,0 % para ampicilina; 33/50 (66,0 % para gentamicina de alto nivel; 34/50 (68,0 % para estreptomicina de alto nivel; 26/50 (52,0 % para ciprofloxacina; 4/50 (8,0 % para linezolid; 17/50 (34,0 % para teicoplanina; 25/50 (50,0 % para vancomicina; 31/50 (62,0 % para minociclina; 34/50 (68,0 % para tetraciclina y 9/50 (18,0 % para nitrofurantoina. Frente a los glucopéptidos, 25/50 (50,0 % y 10/50 (20,0 % de los aislamientos presentaron los mecanismos Van A y Van B, respectivamente. Conclusiones. Podemos concluir que la mayoría de las veces, las cepas aisladas en el Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras mostraron porcentajes de resistencia por encima de lo reportado en la literatura científica consultada. El alto porcentaje de cepas con resistencia a la vancomicina podría influir en la aparición de otros gérmenes Gram positivos con resistencia a este fármaco. Se reporta por

  8. Enterococcus faecalis infection causes inflammation, intracellular oxphos-independent ROS production, and DNA damage in human gastric cancer cells.

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    Jesper A B Strickertsson

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Achlorhydria caused by e.g. atrophic gastritis allows for bacterial overgrowth, which induces chronic inflammation and damage to the mucosal cells of infected individuals driving gastric malignancies and cancer. Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis can colonize achlohydric stomachs and we therefore wanted to study the impact of E. faecalis infection on inflammatory response, reactive oxygen species (ROS formation, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial genetic stability in gastric mucosal cells. METHODS: To separate the changes induced by bacteria from those of the inflammatory cells we established an in vitro E. faecalis infection model system using the gastric carcinoma cell line MKN74. Total ROS and superoxide was measured by fluorescence microscopy. Cellular oxygen consumption was characterized non-invasively using XF24 microplate based respirometry. Gene expression was examined by microarray, and response pathways were identified by Gene Set Analysis (GSA. Selected gene transcripts were verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR. Mitochondrial mutations were determined by sequencing. RESULTS: Infection of MKN74 cells with E. faecalis induced intracellular ROS production through a pathway independent of oxidative phosphorylation (oxphos. Furthermore, E. faecalis infection induced mitochondrial DNA instability. Following infection, genes coding for inflammatory response proteins were transcriptionally up-regulated while DNA damage repair and cell cycle control genes were down-regulated. Cell growth slowed down when infected with viable E. faecalis and responded in a dose dependent manner to E. faecalis lysate. CONCLUSIONS: Infection by E. faecalis induced an oxphos-independent intracellular ROS response and damaged the mitochondrial genome in gastric cell culture. Finally the bacteria induced an NF-κB inflammatory response as well as impaired DNA damage response and cell cycle control gene

  9. Characterization and Application of Enterocin RM6, a Bacteriocin from Enterococcus faecalis

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    En Huang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Use of bacteriocins in food preservation has received great attention in recent years. The goal of this study is to characterize enterocin RM6 from Enterococcus faecalis OSY-RM6 and investigate its efficacy against Listeria monocytogenes in cottage cheese. Enterocin RM6 was purified from E. faecalis culture supernatant using ion exchange column, multiple C18-silica cartridges, followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of enterocin RM6 is 7145.0823 as determined by mass spectrometry (MS. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS analysis revealed that enterocin RM6 is a 70-residue cyclic peptide with a head-to-tail linkage between methionine and tryptophan residues. The peptide sequence of enterocin RM6 was further confirmed by sequencing the structural gene of the peptide. Enterocin RM6 is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including L. monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA. Enterocin RM6 (final concentration in cottage cheese, 80 AU/mL caused a 4-log reduction in population of L. monocytogenes inoculated in cottage cheese within 30 min of treatment. Therefore, enterocin RM6 has potential applications as a potent antimicrobial peptide against foodborne pathogens in food.

  10. Investigation of mechanisms and molecular epidemiology of linezolid nonsusceptible Enterococcus faecalis isolated from a teaching hospital in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bin; Ma, Chuan-Ling; Yu, Xiao; Sun, Yao; Li, Mei-Mei; Ye, Jian-Zhong; Zhang, Ya-Pei; Wu, Qing; Zhou, Tie-Li

    2016-08-01

    The epidemiological and molecular characteristics of eight linezolid nonsusceptible Enterococcus faecalis isolated from a teaching hospital in China (January to July 2014) were investigated. The target site modifications and cfr gene associated with linezolid resistance were not found. Results of the epidemiological investigation indicated that linezolid resistance possibly occurred on several independent occasions and was often not related to linezolid administration. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Functional analysis of AtlA, the major N-acetylglucosaminidase of Enterococcus faecalis.

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    Eckert, Catherine; Lecerf, Maxime; Dubost, Lionel; Arthur, Michel; Mesnage, Stéphane

    2006-12-01

    The major peptidoglycan hydrolase of Enterococcus faecalis, AtlA, has been identified, but its enzyme activity remains unknown. We have used tandem mass spectrometry analysis of peptidoglycan hydrolysis products obtained using the purified protein to show that AtlA is an N-acetylglucosaminidase. To gain insight into the regulation of its enzyme activity, the three domains of AtlA were purified alone or in combination following expression of truncated forms of the atlA gene in Escherichia coli or partial digestion of AtlA by proteinase K. The central domain of AtlA was catalytically active, but its activity was more than two orders of magnitude lower than that of the complete protein. Partial proteolysis of AtlA was detected in vivo: zymograms of E. faecalis extracts revealed two catalytically active protein bands of 62 and 72 kDa that were both absent in extracts from an atlA null mutant. Limited digestion of AtlA by proteinase K in vitro suggested that the proteolytic cleavage of AtlA in E. faecalis extracts corresponds to the truncation of the N-terminal domain, which is rich in threonine and glutamic acid residues. We show that the truncation of the N-terminal domain from recombinant AtlA has no impact on enzyme activity. The C-terminal domain of the protein, which contains six LysM modules bound to highly purified peptidoglycan, was required for optimal enzyme activity. These data indicate that AtlA is not produced as a proenzyme and that control of the AtlA glucosaminidase activity is likely to occur at the level of LysM-mediated binding to peptidoglycan.

  12. Mechanical reduction of the intracanal Enterococcus faecalis population by Hyflex CM, K3XF, ProTaper Next, and two manual instrument systems: an in vitro comparative study.

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    Tewari, Rajendra K; Ali, Sajid; Mishra, Surendra K; Kumar, Ashok; Andrabi, Syed Mukhtar-Un-Nisar; Zoya, Asma; Alam, Sharique

    2016-05-01

    In the present study, the effectiveness of three rotary and two manual nickel titanium instrument systems on mechanical reduction of the intracanal Enterococcus faecalis population was evaluated. Mandibular premolars with straight roots were selected. Teeth were decoronated and instrumented until 20 K file and irrigated with physiological saline. After sterilization by ethylene oxide gas, root canals were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis. The specimens were randomly divided into five groups for canal instrumentation: Manual Nitiflex and Hero Shaper nickel titanium files, and rotary Hyflex CM, ProTaper Next, and K3XF nickel titanium files. Intracanal bacterial sampling was done before and after instrumentation. After serial dilution, samples were plated onto the Mitis Salivarius agar. The c.f.u. grown were counted, and log10 transformation was calculated. All instrumentation systems significantly reduced the intracanal bacterial population after root canal preparation. ProTaper Next was found to be significantly more effective than Hyflex CM and manual Nitiflex and Hero Shaper. However, ProTaper Next showed no significant difference with K3XF. Canal instrumentation by all the file systems significantly reduced the intracanal Enterococcus faecalis counts. ProTaper Next was found to be most effective in reducing the number of bacteria than other rotary or hand instruments. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  13. Purification and characteristics of a novel bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis L11 isolated from Chinese traditional fermented cucumber.

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    Gao, Yurong; Li, Benling; Li, Dapeng; Zhang, Liyuan

    2016-05-01

    To purify and characterize a novel bacteriocin with broad inhibitory spectrum produced by an isolate of Enterococcus faecalis from Chinese fermented cucumber. E. faecalis L11 produced a bacteriocin with antimicrobial activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The amino acid sequence of the purified bacteriocin, enterocin L11, was assayed by Edman degradation method. It differs from other class II bacteriocins and exhibited a broad antimicrobial activity against not only Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis, S. aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Sarcina flava, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, but also some Gram-negative bacteria including Salmonella typhimurium, E. coli and Shigella flexneri. Enterocin L11 retained 91 % of its activity after holding at 121 °C for 30 min. It was also resistant to acids and alkalis. Enterocin L11 is a novel broad-spectrum Class II bacteriocin produced by E. faecalis L11, and may have potential as a food biopreservative.

  14. Distinct SagA from hospital-associated clade A1 Enterococcus faecium strains contributes to biofilm formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    F.L. Paganelli; M. de Been; J.C. Braat (Johanna); T.A. Hoogenboezem (Thomas); C. Vink (Cornelis); J. Bayjanov; M.R.C. Rogers; J. Huebner; M.J.M. Bonten (Marc); R.J.L. Willems (Rob); H.L. Leavis

    2015-01-01

    textabstractEnterococcus faecium is an important nosocomial pathogen causing biofilm-mediated infections. Elucidation of E. faecium biofilm pathogenesis is pivotal for the development of new strategies to treat these infections. In several bacteria, extracellular DNA (eDNA) and proteins act as

  15. Rapid kill-novel endodontic sealer and Enterococcus faecalis.

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    Nurit Beyth

    Full Text Available With growing concern over bacterial resistance, the identification of new antimicrobial means is paramount. In the oral cavity microorganisms are essential to the development of periradicular diseases and are the major causative factors associated with endodontic treatment failure. As quaternary ammonium compounds have the ability to kill a wide array of bacteria through electrostatic interactions with multiple anionic targets on the bacterial surface, it is likely that they can overcome bacterial resistance. Melding these ideas, we investigated the potency of a novel endodontic sealer in limiting Enterococcus faecalis growth. We used a polyethyleneimine scaffold to synthesize nano-sized particles, optimized for incorporation into an epoxy-based endodontic sealer. The novel endodontic sealer was tested for its antimicrobial efficacy and evaluated for biocompatibility and physical eligibility. Our results show that the novel sealer foundation affixes the nanoparticles, achieving surface bactericidal properties, but at the same time impeding nanoparticle penetration into eukaryotic cells and thereby mitigating a possible toxic effect. Moreover, adequate physical properties are maintained. The nanosized quaternary amine particles interact within minutes with bacteria, triggering cell death across wide pH values. Throughout this study we demonstrate a new antibacterial perspective for endodontic sealers; a novel antibacterial, effective and safe antimicrobial means.

  16. Time-dependent antibacterial effects of Aloe vera and Zataria multiflora plant essential oils compared to calcium hydroxide in teeth infected with Enterococcus faecalis.

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    Abbaszadegan, Abbas; Sahebi, Safoora; Gholami, Ahmad; Delroba, Alireza; Kiani, Amin; Iraji, Aida; Abbott, Paul Vincent

    2016-02-01

    In the present in vitro study, we investigated the time-related antimicrobial efficacy of Aloe vera and Zataria multiflora (Z. multiflora) plant essential oils compared to calcium hydroxide ([Ca[OH]2 ) to eliminate Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) from root canals. A new strain of E. faecalis (Enterococcus spp. AGH04) was isolated from a previously root-filled tooth with persistent apical periodontitis. The 16S rRNA sequence was analyzed and deposited in GeneBank under accession number KF465681. A total of 108 extracted human single-rooted teeth were contaminated with this bacterial strain and treated with Aloe vera essential oil, Z. multiflora essential oil, and Ca(OH)2 for 1, 7, and 14 days. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the chemical composition of the oils. The percentage reduction from initial c.f.u./mL counts were calculated and analyzed. Carvacrol, thymol, and linalool were the main constituents of both essential oils. The c.f.u./mL count reductions significantly increased for all three medicaments when the contact time was extended. A statistically-significant difference was observed between the medicaments after 1 and 7 days, but there was no significant difference after 14 days. Both medicinal herbs showed equal antimicrobial efficiency against E. faecalis, comparable to Ca(OH)2 for the prolonged contact time of 14 days. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  17. New Insight into Biofilm Formation Ability, the Presence of Virulence Genes and Probiotic Potential of Enterococcus sp. Dairy Isolates

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    Nikola Popović

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Enterococci have controversial status due to their emerging role in nosocomial infections and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes, while some enterococci strains are used as probiotics for humans and animals and starter cultures in dairy industry. In order to improve our understanding of factors involved in the safe use of enterococci as potential probiotics, the antibiotic susceptibility, virulence and probiotic traits of 75 dairy enterococci isolates belonging to Enterococcus durans (50, En. faecium (15, En. faecalis (6, En. italicus (3, and En. hirae (1 were evaluated. The results revealed that ciprofloxacin resistance and biofilm formation are correlated with isolates originated from Golija mountain (Serbia, while gelatinase activity was more common in isolates from Prigorje region (Croatia, pointing to uncontrolled use of antibiotics and anthropogenic impact on dairy products' microbiota in these regions. The virulence genes were sporadically present in 13 selected dairy enterococci isolates. Interestingly, biofilm formation was correlated with higher ability of strains to reduce the adhesion of E. coli and Salmonella Enteritidis to HT29-MTX cells. To our knowledge this is the first study reporting the presence of the esp gene (previously correlated with pathogenesis in dairy enterococci isolates, mostly associated with the genes involved in adhesion property. Hence, the results of this study revealed that the virulence genes are sporadically present in dairy isolates and more correlated to adhesion properties and biofilm formation, implicating their role in gut colonization rather than to the virulence traits.

  18. Phage-mediated dispersal of biofilm and distribution of bacterial virulence genes is induced by quorum sensing.

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    Friederike S Rossmann

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The microbiome and the phage meta-genome within the human gut are influenced by antibiotic treatments. Identifying a novel mechanism, here we demonstrate that bacteria use the universal communication molecule AI-2 to induce virulence genes and transfer them via phage release. High concentrations (i.e. 100 μM of AI-2 promote dispersal of bacteria from already established biofilms, and is associated with release of phages capable of infecting other bacteria. Enterococcus faecalis V583ΔABC harbours 7 prophages in its genome, and a mutant deficient in one of these prophages (i.e. prophage 5 showed a greatly reduced dispersal of biofilm. Infection of a probiotic E. faecalis strain without lytic prophages with prophage 5 resulted in increased biofilm formation and also in biofilm dispersal upon induction with AI-2. Infection of the probiotic E. faecalis strain with phage-containing supernatants released through AI-2 from E. faecalis V583ΔABC resulted in a strong increase in pathogenicity of this strain. The polylysogenic probiotic strain was also more virulent in a mouse sepsis model and a rat endocarditis model. Both AI-2 and ciprofloxacin lead to phage release, indicating that conditions in the gastrointestinal tract of hospitalized patients treated with antibiotics might lead to distribution of virulence genes to apathogenic enterococci and possibly also to other commensals or even to beneficial probiotic strains.

  19. The Relationship among Tyrosine Decarboxylase and Agmatine Deiminase Pathways in Enterococcus faecalis

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    Marta Perez

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Enterococci are considered mainly responsible for the undesirable accumulation of the biogenic amines tyramine and putrescine in cheeses. The biosynthesis of tyramine and putrescine has been described as a species trait in Enterococcus faecalis. Tyramine is formed by the decarboxylation of the amino acid tyrosine, by the tyrosine decarboxylase (TDC route encoded in the tdc cluster. Putrescine is formed from agmatine by the agmatine deiminase (AGDI pathway encoded in the agdi cluster. These biosynthesis routes have been independently studied, tyrosine and agmatine transcriptionally regulate the tdc and agdi clusters. The objective of the present work is to study the possible co-regulation among TDC and AGDI pathways in E. faecalis. In the presence of agmatine, a positive correlation between putrescine biosynthesis and the tyrosine concentration was found. Transcriptome studies showed that tyrosine induces the transcription of putrescine biosynthesis genes and up-regulates pathways involved in cell growth. The tyrosine modulation over AGDI route was not observed in the mutant Δtdc strain. Fluorescence analyses using gfp as reporter protein revealed PaguB (the promoter of agdi catabolic genes was induced by tyrosine in the wild-type but not in the mutant strain, confirming that tdc cluster was involved in the tyrosine induction of putrescine biosynthesis. This study also suggests that AguR (the transcriptional regulator of agdi was implicated in interaction among the two clusters.

  20. Impact of peptidoglycan O-acetylation on autolytic activities of the Enterococcus faecalis N-acetylglucosaminidase AtlA and N-acetylmuramidase AtlB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emirian, Aurélie; Fromentin, Sophie; Eckert, Catherine; Chau, Françoise; Dubost, Lionel; Delepierre, Muriel; Gutmann, Laurent; Arthur, Michel; Mesnage, Stéphane

    2009-09-17

    Autolysins are potentially lethal enzymes that partially hydrolyze peptidoglycan for incorporation of new precursors and septum cleavage after cell division. Here, we explored the impact of peptidoglycan O-acetylation on the enzymatic activities of Enterococcus faecalis major autolysins, the N-acetylglucosaminidase AtlA and the N-acetylmuramidase AtlB. We constructed isogenic strains with various O-acetylation levels and used them as substrates to assay E. faecalis autolysin activities. Peptidoglycan O-acetylation had a marginal inhibitory impact on the activities of these enzymes. In contrast, removal of cell wall glycopolymers increased the AtlB activity (37-fold), suggesting that these polymers negatively control the activity of this enzyme.

  1. Distribution of antimicrobial resistance determinants, virulence-associated factors and clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats loci in isolates of Enterococcus faecalis from various settings and genetic lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gawryszewska, Iwona; Malinowska, Katarzyna; Kuch, Alicja; Chrobak-Chmiel, Dorota; Trokenheim, Lucja Laniewska-; Hryniewicz, Waleria; Sadowy, Ewa

    2017-03-01

    Enterococcus faecalis represents an important factor of hospital-associated infections (HAIs). The knowledge on its evolution from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen is still limited; thus, we performed a study to characterise distribution of factors that may contribute to this adaptation. Using a collection obtained from various settings (hospitalised patients, community carriers, animals, fresh food, sewage, water), we investigated differences in antimicrobial susceptibility, distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence-associated determinants and phenotypes, and CRISPR loci in the context of the clonal relatedness of isolates. Bayesian Analysis of Population Structure revealed the presence of three major groups; two subgroups comprised almost exclusively HAI isolates, belonging to previously proposed enterococcal high-risk clonal complexes (HiRECCs) 6 and 28. Isolates of these two subgroups were significantly enriched in antimicrobial resistance genes, presumably produced a polysaccharide capsule and often carried the aggregation substance asa1; distribution of other virulence-associated genes, such as esp and cyl, formation of a biofilm and gelatinase production were more variable. Moreover, both subgroups showed a low prevalence of CRISPR-Cas 1 and 3 and presence of small CRISPR2 variants. Our study confirms the importance of HiRECCs in the population of E. faecalis and their confinement to the hospital settings. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Role of N-acetylglucosaminidase and N-acetylmuramidase activities in Enterococcus faecalis peptidoglycan metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesnage, Stéphane; Chau, Françoise; Dubost, Lionel; Arthur, Michel

    2008-07-11

    Identification of the full complement of peptidoglycan hydrolases detected by zymogram in Enterococcus faecalis extracts led to the characterization of two novel hydrolases that we named AtlB and AtlC. Both enzymes have a similar modular organization comprising a central catalytic domain fused to two LysM peptidoglycan-binding modules. AtlB and AtlC displayed N-acetylmuramidase activity, as demonstrated by tandem mass spectrometry analyses of peptidoglycan fragments generated by the purified enzymes. The genes encoding AtlB and AtlC were deleted either alone or in combination with the gene encoding AtlA, a previously described N-acetylglucosaminidase. No autolytic activity was detected in the triple mutant indicating that AtlA, AtlB, and AtlC account for the major hydrolytic activities in E. faecalis. Analysis of cell size distribution by flow cytometry showed that deletion of atlA resulted in the formation of long chains. Thus, AtlA digests the septum and is required for cell separation after cell division. We found that AtlB could act as a surrogate for AtlA, although the enzyme was less efficient at septum digestion. Deletion of atlC had no impact on cell morphology. Labeling of the peptidoglycan with N-[14C]acetylglucosamine revealed an unusually slow turnover as compared with model organisms, almost completely dependent upon the combined activities of AtlA and AtlB. In contrast to atlA, the atlB and atlC genes are located in putative prophages. Because AtlB and AtlC were produced in the absence of cell lysis or production of phage progeny, these enzymes may have been hijacked by E. faecalis to contribute to peptidoglycan metabolism.

  3. Prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in infected root canals and their susceptibility to endodontic treatment procedures: A molecular study

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    Stojanović Nikola; Krunić Jelena; Popović Branka; Stojičić Sonja; Živković Slavoljub

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. Because apical periodontitis is recognizably an infectious disease, elimination or reduction of intracanal bacteria is of utmost importance for optimum treatment outcome. Objective. The prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in infected root canals was studied Also, the effect of endodontic therapy by using intracanal medicaments, calcium hydroxide paste (CH) or gutta-percha points containing calcium hydroxide (CH-GP)...

  4. Enterococcus faecalis Infection and Reactive Oxygen Species Down-Regulates the miR-17-92 Cluster in Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cell Culture

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    Jesper A. B. Strickertsson

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Chronic inflammation due to bacterial overgrowth of the stomach predisposes to the development of gastric cancer and is also associated with high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS. In recent years increasing attention has been drawn to microRNAs (miRNAs due to their role in the pathogenesis of many human diseases including gastric cancer. Here we studied the impact of infection by the gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis on global miRNA expression as well as the effect of ROS on selected miRNAs. Human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line MKN74 was infected with living E. faecalis for 24 h or for 5 days or with E. faecalis lysate for 5 days. The miRNA expression was examined by microarray analysis using Affymetrix GeneChip miRNA Arrays. To test the effect of ROS, MKN74 cells were treated with 100 mM tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP. Following 5 days of E. faecalis infection we found 91 differentially expressed miRNAs in response to living bacteria and 2 miRNAs responded to E. faecalis lysate. We verified the down-regulation of the miR-17-92 and miR-106-363 clusters and of other miRNAs involved in the oxidative stress-response by qRT-PCR. We conclude that only infection by living E. faecalis bacteria caused a significant global response in miRNA expression in the MKN74 cell culture. E. faecalis infection as well as ROS stimulation down-regulated the expression of the miR-17-92 cluster. We believe that these changes could reflect a general response of gastric epithelial cells to bacterial infections.

  5. Successful salvage treatment of native valve Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis with telavancin: two case reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Mickala M; Hassoun, Ali

    2017-07-01

    Infective endocarditis (IE) one-year mortality rates approach 40%. Here, we report two native valve Enterococcus faecalis IE cases in patients successfully treated with telavancin. An 88-year-old with mitral valve endocarditis and a penicillin allergy, initially treated with intravenous vancomycin, was switched to telavancin. A 69-year-old, who previously received amoxicillin and intravenous vancomycin for presumed enterococcal bacteraemia, was diagnosed with dual valve endocarditis for which he received telavancin. Both received six weeks of telavancin. Neither had telavancin-related adverse events, evidence of infection at six months, nor required telavancin dosing adjustments. Documented use of novel treatments for serious enterococcal infections is needed.

  6. The acid tolerance response and pH adaptation of Enterococcus faecalis in extract of lime Citrus aurantiifolia from Aceh Indonesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mubarak, Zaki; Soraya, Cut

    2018-01-01

    Background:  The objective of the present study was to evaluate the acid tolerance response and pH adaptation when Enterococcus faecalis interacted with extract of lime ( Citrus aurant iifolia ). Methods : We used E. faecalis ATCC 29212 and lime extract from Aceh, Indonesia. The microbe was analyzed for its pH adaptation, acid tolerance response, and adhesion assay using a light microscope with a magnification of x1000. Further, statistical tests were performed to analyze both correlation and significance of the acid tolerance and pH adaptation as well as the interaction activity. Results : E. faecalis was able to adapt to a very acidic environment (pH 2.9), which was characterized by an increase in its pH (reaching 4.2) at all concentrations of the lime extract (p lime extract based on spectrophotometric data (595 nm) (p lime extract was relatively stable within 6 up to 12 hours (p 0.05) based on the mass profiles of its interaction activity. Conclusions : E. faecalis can adapt to acidic environments (pH 2.9-4.2); it is also able to tolerate acid generated by Citrus auranti ifolia extract, revealing a stable interaction in the first 6-12 hours.

  7. Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy of MTAD, oxytetracycline, sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine against Enterococcus faecalis: An ex-vivo study

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    Rakesh Mittal

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate and compare the antibacterial efficiency of MTAD, Oxytetracycline, 5% NaOCl, and 2% chlorhexidine when used as root canal irrigants against Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: Fifty extracted human single rooted anterior teeth were selected. The decoronated sterilized root samples were infected with 10μl of 24 hours pure culture suspension of E. faecalis for 48 hours except for 10 teeth in negative control group (Group V. The test samples were divided into four groups (n = 10 as: Group I- 5% Sodium Hypochlorite, Group II- MTAD, Group III- Oxytetracycline and Group IV- 2% Chlorhexidine. The root canals were instrumented while using respective root canal irrigant solution. The bacterial cultures were taken from each root canal and colony forming units were counted on agar plates. The data was statistically analyzed. Results: It was observed that Group-III (Oxytetracycline showed the maximum antibacterial efficacy against E. faecalis followed by Group II (MTAD, Group IV (2% Chlorhexidine, Group I (5% Sodium hypochlorite. Conclusion: Oxytetracycline has a great potential as a root canal irrigating agent because of its superior antimicrobial efficacy against E. faecalis, easy availability and cost effectiveness.

  8. The Intraperitoneal Transcriptome of the Opportunistic Pathogen Enterococcus faecalis in Mice.

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    Cécile Muller

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive lactic acid intestinal opportunistic bacterium with virulence potential. For a better understanding of the adapation of this bacterium to the host conditions, we performed a transcriptome analysis of bacteria isolated from an infection site (mouse peritonitis by RNA-sequencing. We identified a total of 211 genes with significantly higher transcript levels and 157 repressed genes. Our in vivo gene expression database reflects well the infection process since genes encoding important virulence factors like cytolysin, gelatinase or aggregation substance as well as stress response proteins, are significantly induced. Genes encoding metabolic activities are the second most abundant in vivo induced genes demonstrating that the bacteria are metabolically active and adapt to the special nutrient conditions of the host. α- and β- glucosides seem to be important substrates for E. faecalis inside the host. Compared to laboratory conditions, the flux through the upper part of glycolysis seems to be reduced and more carbon may enter the pentose phosphate pathway. This may reflect the need of the bacteria under infection conditions to produce more reducing power for biosynthesis. Another important substrate is certainly glycerol since both pathways of glycerol catabolism are strongly induced. Strongly in vivo induced genes should be important for the infection process. This assumption has been verified in a virulence test using well characterized mutants affected in glycerol metabolism. This showed indeed that mutants unable to metabolize this sugar alcohol are affected in organ colonisation in a mouse model.

  9. Antimicrobial activity of sodium hypochlorite associated with intracanal medication for Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis inoculated in root canals

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    Marcia Carneiro Valera

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the action of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl associated with an intracanal medication against Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis inoculated in root canals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-six human single-rooted teeth with single root canals were used. The canals were contaminated with C. albicans and E. faecalis for 21 days and were then instrumented with 1% NaOCl. The roots were divided into 3 groups (n=12 according to the intracanal medication applied: calcium hydroxide paste, 2% chlorhexidine (CHX gel, and 2% CHX gel associated with calcium hydroxide. The following collections were made from the root canals: a initial sample (IS: 21 days after contamination (control, b S1: after instrumentation, c S2: 14 days after intracanal medication placement; S3: 7 days after intracanal medication removal. The results were analyzed statistically by the Kruskal-Wallis test at 5% significance level. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Both 1% NaOCl irrigation and the intracanal medications were effective in eliminating E. faecalis and C. albicans inoculated in root canals.

  10. Antibacterial effect of triantibiotic mixture, chlorhexidine gel, and two natural materials Propolis and Aloe vera against Enterococcus faecalis: An ex vivo study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazvand, Leila; Aminozarbian, Mohammad Ghasem; Farhad, Alireza; Noormohammadi, Hamid; Hasheminia, Seyed Mohsen; Mobasherizadeh, Sina

    2014-07-01

    The aim of this ex vivo study was to compare the antimicrobial effect of triantibiotic paste, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis in deep dentin. Ninety fresh extracted single-rooted teeth were used in a dentin block model. Seventy-five teeth were infected with E. faecalis and divided into four experimental groups (n = 15). Experimental groups were treated with triantibiotic mixture with distilled water, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, 70% ethanol + Propolis and Aloe vera. Fifteen teeth treated with distilled water as the positive control and 15 samples, free of bacterial contamination, were considered as the negative control. Gates-Glidden drill #4 was used for removal of surface dentin and Gates-Glidden drill #5 was used to collect samples of deep dentin. The samples were prepared and colony-forming units were counted. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests. Statistical significance was defined at P 0.05). Aloe vera had antibacterial effects on E. faecalis, but in comparison with other medicaments, it was less effective (P vera were relatively effective against E. faecalis. All the intracanal medicements had similar effects on E. faecalis in deep dentin except for Aloe vera.

  11. Biofilm behavior on sulfonated poly(ether-ether-ketone) (sPEEK)

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    Montero, Juan F.D. [Center for Research on Dental Implants (CEPID), School of Dentistry (ODT), Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900 (Brazil); Tajiri, Henrique A.; Barra, Guilherme M.O.; Fredel, Márcio C. [Department of Mechanical Engineering (EMC), Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, SC 88040-900 (Brazil); Benfatti, Cesar A.M.; Magini, Ricardo S. [Center for Research on Dental Implants (CEPID), School of Dentistry (ODT), Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900 (Brazil); Pimenta, Andréa L. [Integrated Laboratories Technologies (InteLAB), Dept. Chemical Engineering (EQA), Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC 88040-970 (Brazil); Department of Biologie, Université de Cergy Pontoise, 2, Av. Adolphe Chauvin, 95302 Cergy Pontoise (France); Souza, Júlio C.M., E-mail: julio.c.m.souza@ufsc.br [Center for Research on Dental Implants (CEPID), School of Dentistry (ODT), Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900 (Brazil); Center for Microelectromechanical Systems (CMEMS), Dept. Mechanical Engineering (DEM), Campus Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães (Portugal)

    2017-01-01

    Poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) has also shown to be very attractive for incorporating therapeutic compounds thanks to a sulfonation process which modifies the material structure resulting in a sulfonated-PEEK (sPEEK). Concerning biomedical applications, the objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of different sulfonation degree of sPEEK on the biofilm growth. PEEK samples were functionalized by using sulphuric acid (98%) and then dissolved into dimethyl-sulfoxide. A dip coating technique was used to synthesize sPEEK thin films. The sulfonation degree of the materials was analyzed by FT-IR, H NMR, TG and IEC. The surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, profilometry and contact angle analyses. Subsequently, the biofilm formation on sulfonated-PEEK based on Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis was measured by spectrophotometry, colony forming units (CFU mL{sup −1}) and SEM. Results obtained from thermal and chemical analyses showed an intensification in sulfonation degree for sPEEK at 2 and 2.5 h. The E. faecalis or S. mutans biofilm growth revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between 2 and 3 h sulfonation groups. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in CFU mL{sup −1} was recorded for S. mutans or E. faecalis biofilm grown on 2.5 or 3 h sPEEK. Regarding the thermal-chemical and microbiologic analyses, the sulfonation degree of sPEEK ranging from 2 up to 3 h was successful capable to decrease the biofilm growth. That revealed an alternative strategy to embed anti-biofilm and therapeutic compounds into PEEK avoiding infections in biomedical applications. - Highlights: • PEEK can be dissolved to incorporate therapeutic compounds. • High sulfonation degree on sPEEK affected the biofilm growth. • The sulfonation degree must be controlled to maintain the properties of sPEEK.

  12. Biofilm behavior on sulfonated poly(ether-ether-ketone) (sPEEK)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montero, Juan F.D.; Tajiri, Henrique A.; Barra, Guilherme M.O.; Fredel, Márcio C.; Benfatti, Cesar A.M.; Magini, Ricardo S.; Pimenta, Andréa L.; Souza, Júlio C.M.

    2017-01-01

    Poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) has also shown to be very attractive for incorporating therapeutic compounds thanks to a sulfonation process which modifies the material structure resulting in a sulfonated-PEEK (sPEEK). Concerning biomedical applications, the objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of different sulfonation degree of sPEEK on the biofilm growth. PEEK samples were functionalized by using sulphuric acid (98%) and then dissolved into dimethyl-sulfoxide. A dip coating technique was used to synthesize sPEEK thin films. The sulfonation degree of the materials was analyzed by FT-IR, H NMR, TG and IEC. The surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, profilometry and contact angle analyses. Subsequently, the biofilm formation on sulfonated-PEEK based on Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis was measured by spectrophotometry, colony forming units (CFU mL −1 ) and SEM. Results obtained from thermal and chemical analyses showed an intensification in sulfonation degree for sPEEK at 2 and 2.5 h. The E. faecalis or S. mutans biofilm growth revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between 2 and 3 h sulfonation groups. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in CFU mL −1 was recorded for S. mutans or E. faecalis biofilm grown on 2.5 or 3 h sPEEK. Regarding the thermal-chemical and microbiologic analyses, the sulfonation degree of sPEEK ranging from 2 up to 3 h was successful capable to decrease the biofilm growth. That revealed an alternative strategy to embed anti-biofilm and therapeutic compounds into PEEK avoiding infections in biomedical applications. - Highlights: • PEEK can be dissolved to incorporate therapeutic compounds. • High sulfonation degree on sPEEK affected the biofilm growth. • The sulfonation degree must be controlled to maintain the properties of sPEEK.

  13. Bacterial size matters: Multiple mechanisms controlling septum cleavage and diplococcus formation are critical for the virulence of the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamaga, Bartłomiej; Prajsnar, Tomasz K.; Willemse, Joost; Bewley, Martin A.; Chau, Françoise

    2017-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen frequently isolated in clinical settings. This organism is intrinsically resistant to several clinically relevant antibiotics and can transfer resistance to other pathogens. Although E. faecalis has emerged as a major nosocomial pathogen, the mechanisms underlying the virulence of this organism remain elusive. We studied the regulation of daughter cell separation during growth and explored the impact of this process on pathogenesis. We demonstrate that the activity of the AtlA peptidoglycan hydrolase, an enzyme dedicated to septum cleavage, is controlled by several mechanisms, including glycosylation and recognition of the peptidoglycan substrate. We show that the long cell chains of E. faecalis mutants are more susceptible to phagocytosis and are no longer able to cause lethality in the zebrafish model of infection. Altogether, this work indicates that control of cell separation during division underpins the pathogenesis of E. faecalis infections and represents a novel enterococcal virulence factor. We propose that inhibition of septum cleavage during division represents an attractive therapeutic strategy to control infections. PMID:28742152

  14. Bacterial size matters: Multiple mechanisms controlling septum cleavage and diplococcus formation are critical for the virulence of the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis.

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    Bartłomiej Salamaga

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen frequently isolated in clinical settings. This organism is intrinsically resistant to several clinically relevant antibiotics and can transfer resistance to other pathogens. Although E. faecalis has emerged as a major nosocomial pathogen, the mechanisms underlying the virulence of this organism remain elusive. We studied the regulation of daughter cell separation during growth and explored the impact of this process on pathogenesis. We demonstrate that the activity of the AtlA peptidoglycan hydrolase, an enzyme dedicated to septum cleavage, is controlled by several mechanisms, including glycosylation and recognition of the peptidoglycan substrate. We show that the long cell chains of E. faecalis mutants are more susceptible to phagocytosis and are no longer able to cause lethality in the zebrafish model of infection. Altogether, this work indicates that control of cell separation during division underpins the pathogenesis of E. faecalis infections and represents a novel enterococcal virulence factor. We propose that inhibition of septum cleavage during division represents an attractive therapeutic strategy to control infections.

  15. Prostate calcifications: A case series supporting the microbial biofilm theory

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    Tommaso Cai

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Prostate calcifications are a common finding during transrectal prostate ultrasound in both healthy subjects and patients, but their etiopathogenesis and clinical significance are not fully understood. We aimed to establish a new methodology for evaluating the role of microbial biofilms in the genesis of prostate calcifications. Materials and Methods: Ten consecutive patients who had undergone radical prostatectomy were enrolled in this study. All of the patients presented with prostate calcifications during transrectal ultrasound evaluation before surgery and underwent Meares-Stamey tests and clinical evaluation with the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and the International Prostate Symptom Score. At the time of radical prostatectomy, the prostate specimen, after removal, was analyzed with ultrasonography under sterile conditions in the operating room. Core biopsy specimens were taken from the site of prostate calcification and subjected to ultrastructural and microbiological analysis. Results: The results of the Meares-Stamey test showed only 1 of 10 patients (10% with positive cultures for Escherichia coli. Two of five patients (40% had positive cultures from prostate biopsy specimens. Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus raffinosus, and Citrobacter freundii were isolated. Ultrastructural analysis of the prostate biopsy specimens showed prostate calcifications in 6 of 10 patients (60%, and a structured microbial biofilm in 1 patient who had positive cultures for E. faecalis and E. raffinosus. Conclusions: Although the findings are supported by a low number of patients, this study highlights the validity of the proposed methodology for investigating the role of bacterial biofilms in the genesis of prostate calcification.

  16. Inhibition effect of Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus faecalis and their related products on human colonic smooth muscle in vitro.

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    Jing Gong

    Full Text Available To investigate the effects of four strains, generally used in clinic, including Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus faecalis, and their related products on human colonic smooth muscle in vitro.Human colonic circular muscle strips obtained from disease-free margins of resected segments from 25 patients with colorectal cancer were isometrically examined in a constant-temperature organ bath and exposed to different concentrations of living bacteria, sonicated cell fractions and cell-free supernatant (CFS. The area under the curve (AUC representing the contractility of smooth muscle strips was calculated.(1 The four living probiotics inhibited the contractility of human colonic muscle strips only at high concentration (1010 CFUs/mL, all P0.05.Four common probiotics related products, including the sonicated cell fractions and the CFS, obviously inhibited human colonic smooth muscles strips contraction in a dose-dependent manner. Only high concentration living probiotics (1010 CFUs/mL can inhibit the colonic smooth muscles strips contraction. The NO pathway may be partly involved in the inhibitory effect of CFS from Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus faecalis.

  17. Antibacterial effect of calcium hydroxide combined with chlorhexidine on Enterococcus faecalis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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    Masoud SAATCHI

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis is the most frequently isolated strain in failed endodontic therapy cases since it is resistant to calcium hydroxide (CH. Whether a combination of CH and chlorhexidine (CHX is more effective than CH alone against E. faecalis is a matter of controversy. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Material and Methods: A comprehensive search in PubMed, EMbase, EBSCOhost, The Cochrane Library, SciELO, and BBO databases, Clinical trials registers, Open Grey, and conference proceedings from the earliest available date to February 1, 2013 was carried out and the relevant articles were identified by two independent reviewers. Backward and forward search was performed and then inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The included studies were divided into "comparisons" according to the depth of sampling and dressing period of each medicament. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata software 10.0. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: Eighty-five studies were retrieved from databases and backward/forward searches. Fortyfive studies were considered as relevant (5 in vivo, 18 in vitro, 18 ex vivo, and 4 review articles. Nine studies were included for meta-analysis. Inter-observer agreement (Cohen kappa was 0.93. The included studies were divided into 21 comparisons for meta-analysis. Chi-square test showed the comparisons were heterogeneous (p<0.001. Random effect model demonstrated no significant difference between CH/CHX mixture and CH alone in their effect on E. faecalis (p=0.115. Conclusions: According to the evidence available now, mixing CH with CHX does not significantly increase the antimicrobial activity of CH against E. faecalis. It appears that mixing CH with CHX does not improve its ex vivo antibacterial property as an intracanal medicament against E. faecalis. Further in vivo studies are necessary to confirm and correlate

  18. Antibacterial effect of calcium hydroxide combined with chlorhexidine on Enterococcus faecalis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    SAATCHI, Masoud; SHOKRANEH, Ali; NAVAEI, Hooman; MARACY, Mohammad Reza; SHOJAEI, Hasan

    2014-01-01

    Objective Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is the most frequently isolated strain in failed endodontic therapy cases since it is resistant to calcium hydroxide (CH). Whether a combination of CH and chlorhexidine (CHX) is more effective than CH alone against E. faecalis is a matter of controversy. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Material and Methods A comprehensive search in PubMed, EMbase, EBSCOhost, The Cochrane Library, SciELO, and BBO databases, Clinical trials registers, Open Grey, and conference proceedings from the earliest available date to February 1, 2013 was carried out and the relevant articles were identified by two independent reviewers. Backward and forward search was performed and then inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The included studies were divided into "comparisons" according to the depth of sampling and dressing period of each medicament. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata software 10.0. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results Eighty-five studies were retrieved from databases and backward/forward searches. Fortyfive studies were considered as relevant (5 in vivo, 18 in vitro, 18 ex vivo, and 4 review articles). Nine studies were included for meta-analysis. Inter-observer agreement (Cohen kappa) was 0.93. The included studies were divided into 21 comparisons for meta-analysis. Chi-square test showed the comparisons were heterogeneous (p<0.001). Random effect model demonstrated no significant difference between CH/CHX mixture and CH alone in their effect on E. faecalis (p=0.115). Conclusions According to the evidence available now, mixing CH with CHX does not significantly increase the antimicrobial activity of CH against E. faecalis. It appears that mixing CH with CHX does not improve its ex vivo antibacterial property as an intracanal medicament against E. faecalis. Further in vivo studies are necessary to confirm and correlate the findings of

  19. RNA of Enterococcus faecalis Strain EC-12 Is a Major Component Inducing Interleukin-12 Production from Human Monocytic Cells.

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    Ryoichiro Nishibayashi

    Full Text Available Interleukin-12 (IL-12 is an important cytokine for the immunomodulatory effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB. Using murine immune cells, we previously reported that the RNA of Enterococcus faecalis EC-12, a LAB strain exerting probiotic-like beneficial effects, is the major IL-12-inducing immunogenic component. However, it was recently revealed that bacterial RNA can be a ligand for Toll-like receptor (TLR 13, which is only expressed in mice. Because TLR13 is not expressed in humans, the immuno-stimulatory and -modulatory effects of LAB RNA in human cells should be augmented excluding TLR13 contribution. In experiment 1 of this study, the role of LAB RNA in IL-12 induction in human immune cells was studied using three LAB strains, E.faecalis EC-12, Lactobacillus gasseri JCM5344, and Bifidobacterium breve JCM1192. RNase A treatment of heat-killed LAB significantly decreased the IL-12 production of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells on stimulation, while RNase III treatment revealed virtually no effects. Further, IL-12 production against heat-killed E. faecalis EC-12 was abolished by depleting monocytes. These results demonstrated that single stranded RNA (ssRNA of LAB is a strong inducer of IL-12 production from human monocytes. In experiment 2, major receptor for ssRNA of E. faecalis EC-12 was identified using THP-1 cells, a human monocytic cell line. The type of RNA molecules of E. faecalis EC-12 responsible for IL-12 induction was also identified. IL-12 production induced by the total RNA of E. faecalis EC-12 was significantly reduced by the treatment of siRNA for TLR8 but not for TLR7. Furthermore, both 23S and 16S rRNA, but not mRNA, of E. faecalis EC-12 markedly induced IL-12 production from THP-1 cells. These results suggested that the recognition of ssRNA of E. faecalis EC-12 was mediated by TLR8 and that rRNA was the RNA molecule that exhibited IL-12-inducing ability in human cells.

  20. A Comparison between Antibacterial Activity of Propolis and Aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis (an In Vitro Study).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehsani, Maryam; Amin Marashi, Mahmood; Zabihi, Ebrahim; Issazadeh, Maryam; Khafri, Soraya

    2013-01-01

    Removing the bacteria, including Enterococcus faecalis, from the root canal is one of the important aims in endodontic treatment.We aimed to compare the antibacterial activity of Chlorhexidine with two natural drugs. The antibacterial activities of three different propolis extracts (alcohol concentrations: 0, 15, 40%) and Aloe vera gel on E. faecalis were compared using three methods: disk diffusion, microdilution and direct contact test. In addition to the above bacterium, the Aloe vera gel effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans was evaluated. Disk diffusion test revealed that propolis ethanolic extracts (the alcohol concentration of 15 and 40%) and Aloe vera gel have antibacterial activities but aqueous extract of propolis did not show any effect in this test. The MICs for propolis ethanolic extracts, Aloe vera gel and aqueous extract of propolis (0% alcohol) were 313 µg/ml, 750 µg/ml, 2250 µg/ml, and ≥ 500 µg/ml respectively, much higher than the Chlorhexidine one. In direct contact test, contrary to Aloe vera, all three propolis extracts showed antibacterial effects on E. faecalis. The Aloe vera gel also showed significant antibacterial effect on S.aureus and S.mutans. The hydroalcoholic extracts of propolis and Aloe vera gel had antibacterial effects on E. faecalis, however, propolis is more potent than Aloe vera. The antibacterial effect of Aloe vera on S. aureus and S. mutans is low (MIC ≥ 2250 µg/ml). Appropriate concentrations of alcoholic extracts of propolis and some fractions of Aloe vera gel might be good choices for disinfecting the root canal in endodontic treatments.

  1. Efficacy of calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide nanoparticles on the elimination of Enterococcus faecalis in human root dentin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louwakul, Phumisak; Saelo, Attapon; Khemaleelakul, Saengusa

    2017-04-01

    The objective of this study was to compare the antibacterial effect of calcium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) and calcium hydroxide nanoparticles (CHNPs) against Enterococcus faecalis in a dentinal block model. E. faecalis strain JCM 7783 was introduced into dentinal tubules of semicylindrical dentin specimens by centrifugation and incubated for 1 week. Fifty microliters of CONPs or CHNPs was placed on the root canal side of the infected dentin specimens. The specimens were then incubated in aerobic condition at 37 °C and 100 % relative humidity for 1 week. The treated dentin specimens were subjected to fluorescent staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to analyze the proportions of non-vital and vital bacterial cells inside the dentinal tubules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to confirm the effect of the medicaments on the bacteria in the dentinal tubules. Calcium oxide (CO) and calcium hydroxide (CH) were used as controls. Based on the CLSM and SEM analyses, CHNPs were more efficient than CONPs in the elimination of the bacteria in the dentinal tubules. CONPs significantly killed more E. faecalis than CO and CH (P < .05). Neither CO nor CH was able to kill the bacteria. CHNPs were more effective than CONPs in the elimination of E. faecalis in dentinal tubules. CHNPs are effective nanoparticles in killing endodontic bacteria present in dentinal tubules. They have potential as an intracanal medicament, which may be beneficial in root canal therapy.

  2. Comparative antimicrobial efficacy of herbal alternatives (Emblica officinalis, Psidium guajava), MTAD, and 2.5% sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubey, Sandeep

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of herbal alternatives (Emblica officinalis, Psidium guajava), BioPure MTAD, and 2.5% sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis. The testing of the antimicrobial efficacy of selected medicaments against E. faecalis was done by the agar disk-diffusion method. Whatman paper discs of 6 mm diameter were prepared and soaked with the test solution. These discs were then placed onto the previously seeded agar Petri plates. Later, these plates were incubated for 48 h at 37 °C under the appropriate gaseous conditions in a CO2 incubator. A zone of inhibition was recorded in millimeter for each plate and the results were analyzed statistically. MTAD was found to be superior in its antibacterial abilities against E. faecalis compared with the other irrigants used. All the other tested irrigants showed significant zone of inhibition. BioPure MTAD offers better antibacterial efficacy than NaOCl. E. officinalis and P. guajava are effective antibacterial agents against E. faecalis and can be used to reduce root canal microflora and root canal failures.

  3. Human Bile Reduces Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Antibiotics against Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli In Vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wulkersdorfer, Beatrix; Jaros, David; Eberl, Sabine; Poschner, Stefan; Jäger, Walter; Cosentini, Enrico; Zeitlinger, Markus; Schwameis, Richard

    2017-08-01

    It has been known from previous studies that body fluids, such as cerebrospinal fluid, lung surfactant, and urine, have a strong impact on the bacterial killing of many anti-infective agents. However, the influence of human bile on the antimicrobial activity of antibiotics is widely unknown. Human bile was obtained and pooled from 11 patients undergoing cholecystectomy. After sterilization of the bile fluid by gamma irradiation, its effect on bacterial killing was investigated for linezolid (LZD) and tigecycline (TGC) against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Further, ciprofloxacin (CIP), meropenem (MEM), and TGC were tested against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Time-kill curves were performed in pooled human bile and Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB) over 24 h. Bacterial counts (in CFU per milliliter after 24 h) of bile growth controls were approximately equal to MHB growth controls for E. coli and approximately 2-fold greater for E. faecalis , indicating a promotion of bacterial growth by bile for the latter strain. Bile reduced the antimicrobial activity of CIP, MEM, and TGC against E. coli as well as the activity of LZD and TGC against E. faecalis This effect was strongest for TGC against the two strains. Degradation of TGC in bile was identified as the most likely explanation. These findings may have important implications for the treatment of bacterial infections of the gallbladder and biliary tract and should be explored in more detail. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  4. Enterococcus faecalis Sex Pheromone cCF10 Enhances Conjugative Plasmid Transfer In Vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirt, Helmut; Greenwood-Quaintance, Kerryl E; Karau, Melissa J; Till, Lisa M; Kashyap, Purna C; Patel, Robin; Dunny, Gary M

    2018-02-13

    Cell-cell communication mediated by peptide pheromones (cCF10 [CF]) is essential for high-frequency plasmid transfer in vitro in Enterococcus faecalis To examine the role of pheromone signaling in vivo , we established either a CF-producing (CF+) recipient or a recipient producing a biologically inactive variant of CF (CF- recipient) in a germfree mouse model 3 days before donor inoculation and determined transfer frequencies of the pheromone-inducible plasmid pCF10. Plasmid transfer was detected in the upper and middle sections of the intestinal tract 5 h after donor inoculation and was highly efficient in the absence of antibiotic selection. The transconjugant/donor ratio reached a maximum level approaching 1 on day 4 in the upper intestinal tract. Plasmid transfer was significantly lower with the CF- recipient. While rescue of the CF- mating defect by coculture with CF+ recipients is easily accomplished in vitro , no extracellular complementation occurred in vivo This suggests that most pheromone signaling in the gut occurs between recipient and donor cells in very close proximity. Plasmid-bearing cells (donors plus transconjugants) steadily increased in the population from 0.1% after donor inoculation to about 10% at the conclusion of the experiments. This suggests a selective advantage of pCF10 carriage distinct from antibiotic resistance or bacteriocin production. Our results demonstrate that pheromone signaling is required for efficient pCF10 transfer in vivo In the absence of CF+ recipients, a low level of transfer to CF- recipients occurred in the gut. This may result from low-level host-mediated induction of the donors in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, similar to that previously observed in serum. IMPORTANCE Horizontal gene transfer is a major factor in the biology of Enterococcus faecalis , an important nosocomial pathogen. Previous studies showing efficient conjugative plasmid transfer in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of experimental animals did

  5. In vitro antibacterial effect of calcium hydroxide combined with chlorhexidine or iodine potassium iodide on Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sirén, Eva K; Haapasalo, Markus P P; Waltimo, Tuomas M T; Ørstavik, Dag

    2004-08-01

    Several studies have shown a higher success rate of root canal therapy when the canal is free from bacteria at the time of obturation. Treatment strategies that are designed to eliminate this microflora should include agents that can effectively disinfect the root canal. Enterococcus faecalis is often associated with persistent endodontic infections. While in vivo studies have indicated calcium hydroxide to be the most effective all-purpose intracanal medicament, iodine potassium iodide (IKI) and chlorhexidine (CHX) may be able to kill calcium hydroxide-resistant bacteria. Supplementing the antibacterial activity of calcium hydroxide with IPI or CHX preparations was studied in bovine dentine blocks. While calcium hydroxide was unable to kill E. faecalis in the dentine, calcium hydroxide combined with IKI or CHX effectively disinfected the dentine. The addition of CHX or IKI did not affect the alkalinity of the calcium hydroxide suspensions. It may be assumed that combinations also have the potential to be used as long-term medication. Cytotoxicity tests using the neutral red method indicated that the combinations were no more toxic than their pure components.

  6. [Effect of compound Chinese traditional medicine on infected root canal bacteria biofilm].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Rui; Huang, Li-li; Xia, Wen-wei; Zhu, Cai-lian; Ye, Dong-xia

    2010-08-01

    To assess the efficacy of compound Chinese traditional medicine(CTM), which composed of gallic acid, magnolol and polysaccharide of Blettila striata, against the infected root canal bacterial biofilm. Actinomyces viscosus (Av), Enterococcus faecalis (Ef), Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) were composed to form biofilm, then confocal laser scan microscope (CLSM) was used to observe and study the bacterial activity. SAS6.12 software package was used for statistical analysis. The biofilm thickness reduced after treatment by both CTM and ZnO (P>0.05),while there was a significant decrease of the percentage of vital bacterias after treatment by CTM (Pcompound Chinese traditional medicine is effective on biofilm control, so that it would be an effective disinfecting drug for root canal sealers. Supported by Research Fund of Bureau of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shanghai Municipality (Grant No.2008L008A).

  7. Inhibitory activity of root canal irrigants against Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Kelly da Silva Fidalgo

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The present study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of three root canal irrigants against Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus. These microorganisms were incubated in the presence of citric acid (6 and 10%, EDTA (17%, and NaOCl (0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.25%. Agar diffusion tests were performed and redox indicator resazurin was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the irrigants on the metabolic activity of these microorganisms. The mean diameters of the inhibition zones for the C. albicans cultures were 11.6 mm (17% EDTA, 5.5 mm (0.5% NaOCl, 12.9 mm (1% NaOCl, 22.1 mm (2.5% NaOCl, and 28.5 mm (5.25% NaOCl. The mean diameters of the inhibition zones for E. faecalis were 2.8 mm (1% NaOCl, 5.4 mm (2.5% NaOCl, and 8.3 mm (5.25% NaOCl. For S. aureus, the mean values were 8.0 mm (17% EDTA, 3.0 mm (1% NaOCl, 8.8 mm (2.5% NaOCl, and 10.0 mm (5.25% NaOCl. Most of the irrigant solutions presented effective antimicrobial activity against C. albicans. A high inhibitory effect on the metabolic activity of E. faecalis was detected when the microorganisms were incubated with 17% EDTA. The same result was reached when S. aureus was incubated in the presence of > 2.5% NaOCl. Altogether, these results indicate that 2.5% and 5.25% NaOCl are microbicides against S. aureus while 0.5% and 1% NaOCl are only microbiostatic against the tested bacteria. The 6% and 10% citric acid as well as 17% EDTA did not affect the viability of any of the assayed microorganisms.

  8. Branched-chain alpha-keto acid catabolism via the gene products of the bkd operon in Enterococcus faecalis: a ne, secreted metabolite serving as a temporary redox sink.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ward, D.E.; van der Weijden, C.C.; van der Merwe, M.J.; Westerhoff, H.V.; Claiborne, A.; Snoep, J.L.

    2000-01-01

    Recently the bkd gene cluster from Enterococcus faecalis was sequenced, and it was shown that the gene products constitute a pathway for the catabolism of branched-chain α-keto acids. We have now investigated the regulation and physiological role of this pathway. Primer extension analysis identified

  9. Novel de novo synthesized phosphate carrier compound ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 suppresses collagenase production in Enterococcus faecalis and prevents colonic anastomotic leak in an experimental model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegerinck, M; Hyoju, S K; Mao, J; Zaborin, A; Adriaansens, C; Salzman, E; Hyman, N H; Zaborina, O; van Goor, H; Alverdy, J C

    2018-04-16

    Previous work has demonstrated that anastomotic leak can be caused by collagenolytic bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis via an effect on wound collagen. In humans, E. faecalis is the organism cultured most commonly from a leaking anastomosis, and is not routinely eliminated by standard oral or intravenous antibiotics. Novel strategies are needed to contain the virulence of this pathogen when present on anastomotic tissues. Polyphosphorylated polymer ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 was tested in mice for its ability to prevent anastomotic leak caused by collagenolytic E. faecalis. The study design included a distal colonic resection and anastomosis followed by introduction of E. faecalis to anastomotic tissues via enema. Mice were assigned randomly to receive either ABA-PEG20-Pi20 or its unphosphorylated precursor ABA-PEG20k in their drinking water. The development of anastomotic leak was determined after the animals had been killed. Overnight incubation of two different E. faecalis collagenolytic strains with 2 mmol/l of ABA-PEG20k-Pi20 led to near complete inhibition of collagenase production (from 21 000 to 1000 and from 68 000 to 5000 units; P leak rates decreased from eight of 15 to three of 15 animals (P leak caused by this organism. Clinical relevance Progress in understanding the pathogenesis of anastomotic leak continues to point to intestinal bacteria as key causative agents. The presence of pathogens such as Enterococcus faecalis that predominate on anastomotic tissues despite antibiotic use, coupled with their ability to produce collagenase, appears to alter the process of healing that leads to leakage. Further antibiotic administration may seem logical, but carries the unwanted risk of eliminating the normal microbiome, which functions competitively to exclude and suppress the virulence of pathogens such as E. faecalis. Therefore, non-antibiotic strategies that can suppress the production of collagenase by E. faecalis without affecting its growth, or potentially

  10. Antibacterial effect of triantibiotic mixture, chlorhexidine gel, and two natural materials Propolis and Aloe vera against Enterococcus faecalis: An ex vivo study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leila Bazvand

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The aim of this ex vivo study was to compare the antimicrobial effect of triantibiotic paste, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis in deep dentin. Materials and Methods: Ninety fresh extracted single-rooted teeth were used in a dentin block model. Seventy-five teeth were infected with E. faecalis and divided into four experimental groups (n = 15. Experimental groups were treated with triantibiotic mixture with distilled water, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, 70% ethanol + Propolis and Aloe vera. Fifteen teeth treated with distilled water as the positive control and 15 samples, free of bacterial contamination, were considered as the negative control. Gates-Glidden drill #4 was used for removal of surface dentin and Gates-Glidden drill #5 was used to collect samples of deep dentin. The samples were prepared and colony-forming units were counted. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests. Statistical significance was defined at P 0.05. Aloe vera had antibacterial effects on E. faecalis, but in comparison with other medicaments, it was less effective (P < 0.05. Conclusion: This experimental study showed that triantibiotic mixture, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aleo vera were relatively effective against E. faecalis. All the intracanal medicements had similar effects on E. faecalis in deep dentin except for Aloe vera.

  11. Emergence of vanA Enterococcus faecium in Denmark, 2005-15

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hammerum, Anette M; Baig, Sharmin; Kamel, Yasmin

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: To describe the changing epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis in clinical samples in Denmark 2005-15 according to species and van type, and, furthermore, to investigate the genetic relatedness of the clinical E. faecium isolates from 2015...... were detected along with 1 vanA E. faecalis and 1 vanB E. faecalis . cgMLST subdivided the 368 vanA E. faecium isolates into 33 cluster types (CTs), whereas the vanB E. faecium isolate belonged to a different CT. ST203-CT859 was most prevalent (51%), followed by ST80-CT14 (22%), ST117-CT24 (6%), ST80...

  12. Características de α−acetolactato sintetasa y producción de diacetilo por Enterococcus faecium ETw7 y Enterococcus faecalis ETw23

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    Marisol Vallejo

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available El diacetilo es un compuesto aromático esencial en productos lácteos fermentados como el queso. En este trabajo se estudiaron características cinéticas y bioquímicas de la α-acetolactato sintetasa (α-ALS y su influencia en la producción de diacetilo en Enterococcus faecium ETw7 y Enteroccoccus faecalis ETw23. En ambos casos, los parámetros cinéticos revelaron una baja afinidad por el piruvato, como ha sido descrito en otras bacterias ácido lácticas. E. faecium ETw7 desarrolló la máxima actividad enzimática a pH 5,8—6,2 y 40 ºC, sin embargo bajo las condiciones de maduración de quesos (pH 5,0 y 15 oC la actividad remanente fue baja. La α-ALS de E. faecalis ETw23 mostró la máxima actividad al pH de maduración, la temperatura óptima fue determinada a 40 ºC y la actividad remanente a 15 ºC fue aproximadamente el 30% de la máxima. El crecimiento y la producción de diacetilo fue estudiada en el medio De Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS y MRS suplementado con citrato (MRScit. La tasa de crecimiento de E. faecium ETw7 fue comparable en ambos medios, pero se observó un aumento de la biomasa en MRScit. En el caso de E. faecalis ETw23 se logró una mayor tasa de crecimiento entre las 6 y 10 h, y una mayor biomasa en MRScit. Después de 24 h de crecimiento E. faecium ETw7 alcanzó un nivel de 20,4 μM de diacetilo en MRS y 26,1 μM en MRScit, mientras que E. faecalis ETw23 logró niveles de 41,8 μM y 61,7 μM, respectivamente. Los resultados de este estudio sugieren que E. faecalis ETw23 puede contribuir en el desarrollo de aromas en quesos a través de su rol en la producción de diacetilo.

  13. Frequency of ace, epa and elrA Genes in Clinical and Environmental Strains of Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lysakowska, Monika Eliza; Denys, Andrzej; Sienkiewicz, Monika

    2012-12-01

    Surface proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of enterococcal infections. Some of them are candidates for a vaccine, e.g., the frequency of endocarditis in rats vaccinated with Ace protein was 75 % as 12 opposed to 100 % in those who weren't. However, there are other components of enterococcal cells, such as Epa antigens or internalin-like proteins, which may be used in the prophylaxis of infections caused by them. However, also other virulence factors and resistance to antibiotics are important during enterococcal infection. Therefore, the relevance of ace, epa, elrA, other virulence genes, as well as resistance to antibiotics was investigated. 161 Enterococcus faecalis strains isolated from teaching hospitals in Lodz, cultured according to standard microbiological methods, were investigated for the presence of genes encoding surface proteins by PCR. Results were analyzed with χ(2) test. The elrA gene was found in all clinical and environmental strains, the ace gene was also widespread among E. faecalis (96.9 %). Both tested epa genes were found in the majority of isolates (83.25 %). There was correlation between the presence of esp and ace genes (p = 0.046) as well as between epa and agg genes (p = 0.0094; χ(2) test). The presence of the genes encoding surface proteins investigated in our study in the great majority of isolates implies that they would appear to be required during E. faecalis infection. Therefore, they could be excellent targets in therapy of enterococcal infections or, as some studies show, candidates for vaccines.

  14. Identification and molecular characterization of Van A-type vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in Northeast of Brazil

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    Marinalda Anselmo Vilela

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available The isolation of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE in Brazil has rapidly increased, following the world wide tendency. We report in the present study the first isolation of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE in the Northeast of Brazil. The four VRE isolates were characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility, genotypic typing by macro restriction of chromosomal DNA followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and for characterization of the Tn1546-like element and plasmid contents. The isolates showed resistance to multiple antibiotics and a single genotype profile, suggesting the dissemination of a single clone among the patients. Tn1546 associated to genetic elements as plasmids shows the importance of infection control measures to avoid the spreading of glycopetide resistance by conjugative transfer of VanA elements.

  15. Inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis by a direct-current, cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma microjet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Ye; Sun, Peng; Wu, Haiyan; Bai, Na; Wang, Ruixue; Zhu, Weidong; Zhang, Jue; Liu, Fuxiang

    2010-07-01

    A direct-current, cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma microjet (PMJ) was performed to inactivate Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in air. The process of sterilization and morphology of bacteria was observed. We wish to know the possible inactivation mechanisms of PMJ and explore a potential application in dental and other temperature sensitive treatment. In this study, we employed a direct current, atmospheric pressure, cold air PMJ to inactivate bacterias. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the morphology of S. aureus and showed rupture of cell walls after the plasma treatment and Optical emission spectrum (OES) were used to understand the possible inactivation mechanisms of PMJ. The inactivation rates could reach 100% in 5 min. When the distance between the exit nozzle of the PMJ device and Petri dish was extended from 1 cm to 3 cm, effective inactivation was also observed with a similar inactivation curve. The inactivation of bacteria is attributed to the abundant reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as ultroviolet radiation in the plasma. Different life spans and defensibilities of these killing agents may hold the key to understanding the different inactivation curves at different treatment distances.

  16. Bacillus subtilis as a platform for molecular characterisation of regulatory mechanisms of Enterococcus faecalis resistance against cell wall antibiotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Chong; Stiegeler, Emanuel; Cook, Gregory M; Mascher, Thorsten; Gebhard, Susanne

    2014-01-01

    To combat antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus faecalis, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms, particularly of antibiotic detection, signal transduction and gene regulation is needed. Because molecular studies in this bacterium can be challenging, we aimed at exploiting the genetically highly tractable Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis as a heterologous host. Two fundamentally different regulators of E. faecalis resistance against cell wall antibiotics, the bacitracin sensor BcrR and the vancomycin-sensing two-component system VanSB-VanRB, were produced in B. subtilis and their functions were monitored using target promoters fused to reporter genes (lacZ and luxABCDE). The bacitracin resistance system BcrR-BcrAB of E. faecalis was fully functional in B. subtilis, both regarding regulation of bcrAB expression and resistance mediated by the transporter BcrAB. Removal of intrinsic bacitracin resistance of B. subtilis increased the sensitivity of the system. The lacZ and luxABCDE reporters were found to both offer sensitive detection of promoter induction on solid media, which is useful for screening of large mutant libraries. The VanSB-VanRB system displayed a gradual dose-response behaviour to vancomycin, but only when produced at low levels in the cell. Taken together, our data show that B. subtilis is a well-suited host for the molecular characterization of regulatory systems controlling resistance against cell wall active compounds in E. faecalis. Importantly, B. subtilis facilitates the careful adjustment of expression levels and genetic background required for full functionality of the introduced regulators.

  17. Comparison of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Strains isolated from water and clinical samples: antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo-Rojas, Gonzalo; Mazari-Hiríart, Marisa; Ponce de León, Sergio; Amieva-Fernández, Rosa I; Agis-Juárez, Raúl A; Huebner, Johannes; López-Vidal, Yolanda

    2013-01-01

    Enterococci are part of the normal intestinal flora in a large number of mammals, and these microbes are currently used as indicators of fecal contamination in water and food for human consumption. These organisms are considered one of the primary causes of nosocomial and environmental infections due to their ability to survive in the environment and to their intrinsic resistance to antimicrobials. The aims of this study were to determine the biochemical patterns and antimicrobial susceptibilities of Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium isolates from clinical samples and from water (groundwater, water from the Xochimilco wetland, and treated water from the Mexico City Metropolitan Area) and to determine the genetic relationships among these isolates. A total of 121 enterococcus strains were studied; 31 and 90 strains were isolated from clinical samples and water (groundwater, water from the Xochimilco wetland, and water for agricultural irrigation), respectively. Identification to the species level was performed using a multiplex PCR assay, and antimicrobial profiles were obtained using a commercial kit. Twenty-eight strains were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). E. faecium strains isolated from water showed an atypical biochemical pattern. The clinical isolates showed higher resistance to antibiotics than those from water. Both the enterococci isolated from humans, and those isolated from water showed high genetic diversity according to the PFGE analysis, although some strains seemed to be closely related. In conclusion, enterococci isolated from humans and water are genetically different. However, water represents a potential route of transmission to the community and a source of antimicrobial resistance genes that may be readily transmitted to other, different bacterial species.

  18. Comparison of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Strains isolated from water and clinical samples: antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic relationships.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalo Castillo-Rojas

    Full Text Available Enterococci are part of the normal intestinal flora in a large number of mammals, and these microbes are currently used as indicators of fecal contamination in water and food for human consumption. These organisms are considered one of the primary causes of nosocomial and environmental infections due to their ability to survive in the environment and to their intrinsic resistance to antimicrobials. The aims of this study were to determine the biochemical patterns and antimicrobial susceptibilities of Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium isolates from clinical samples and from water (groundwater, water from the Xochimilco wetland, and treated water from the Mexico City Metropolitan Area and to determine the genetic relationships among these isolates. A total of 121 enterococcus strains were studied; 31 and 90 strains were isolated from clinical samples and water (groundwater, water from the Xochimilco wetland, and water for agricultural irrigation, respectively. Identification to the species level was performed using a multiplex PCR assay, and antimicrobial profiles were obtained using a commercial kit. Twenty-eight strains were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE. E. faecium strains isolated from water showed an atypical biochemical pattern. The clinical isolates showed higher resistance to antibiotics than those from water. Both the enterococci isolated from humans, and those isolated from water showed high genetic diversity according to the PFGE analysis, although some strains seemed to be closely related. In conclusion, enterococci isolated from humans and water are genetically different. However, water represents a potential route of transmission to the community and a source of antimicrobial resistance genes that may be readily transmitted to other, different bacterial species.

  19. Antimicrobial resistance profile of Enterococcus spp isolated from food in Southern Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riboldi, Gustavo Pelicioli; Frazzon, Jeverson; d’Azevedo, Pedro Alves; Frazzon, Ana Paula Guedes

    2009-01-01

    Fifty-six Enterococcus spp. strains were isolated from foods in Southern Brazil, confirmed by PCR and classified as Enterococcus faecalis (27), Enterococcus faecium (23) and Enterococcus spp (6). Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed resistance phenotypes to a range of antibiotics widely administrated in humans such as gentamycin, streptomycin, ampicillin and vancomycin. PMID:24031330

  20. An in vitro investigation of a newer intracanal medicament Nisin on Enterococcus faecalis in comparison with chlorhexidine and calcium hydroxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suneel Kumar Chinni

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To determine the antibacterial efficacy of Nisin in comparison with Calcium hydroxide and Chlorhexidine. Materials and Methods: Fifty extracted lower premolar single-rooted teeth were collected and were instrumented with K3 rotary files. Then, root canals were inoculated with a bacterial solution of Enterococcus faecalis. After 21 days, the canals were inoculated with Saline, Nisin, Vancomycin, Calcium hydroxide, and Chlorhexidine. The roots were left for 7 days and on the 8 th day, to investigate the degree of infection of the radicular dentin, specimens of the dentin chips from the full length of the root canal were harvested using a sterile rotary K3 instrument (size 25 6% taper. Results: The results of the present study showed that Nisin and Chlorhexidine showed none of Colony Forming Units (CFU in their respective group. Conclusion: Within the limits of the study, Nisin was effective in eradicating E. faecalis cells in pure culture and root canal dentin.

  1. Partial Diversity Generates Effector Immunity Specificity of the Bac41-Like Bacteriocins of Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurushima, Jun; Ike, Yasuyoshi; Tomita, Haruyoshi

    2016-09-01

    Bacteriocin 41 (Bac41) is the plasmid-encoded bacteriocin produced by the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis Its genetic determinant consists of bacL1 (effector), bacL2 (regulator), bacA (effector), and bacI (immunity). The secreted effectors BacL1 and BacA coordinate to induce the lytic cell death of E. faecalis Meanwhile, the immunity factor BacI provides self-resistance to the Bac41 producer, E. faecalis, against the action of BacL1 and BacA. In this study, we demonstrated that more than half of the 327 clinical strains of E. faecalis screened had functional Bac41 genes. Analysis of the genetic structure of the Bac41 genes in the DNA sequences of the E. faecalis strains revealed that the Bac41-like genes consist of a relatively conserved region and a variable region located downstream from bacA Based on similarities in the variable region, the Bac41-like genes could be classified into type I, type IIa, and type IIb. Interestingly, the distinct Bac41 types had specific immunity factors for self-resistance, BacI1 or BacI2, and did not show cross-immunity to the other type of effector. We also demonstrated experimentally that the specificity of the immunity was determined by the combination of the C-terminal region of BacA and the presence of the unique BacI1 or BacI2 factor. These observations suggested that Bac41-like bacteriocin genes are extensively disseminated among E. faecalis strains in the clinical environment and can be grouped into at least three types. It was also indicated that the partial diversity results in specificity of self-resistance which may offer these strains a competitive advantage. Bacteriocins are antibacterial effectors produced by bacteria. In general, a bacteriocin-coding gene is accompanied by a cognate immunity gene that confers self-resistance on the bacteriocin-producing bacterium itself. We demonstrated that one of the bacteriocins, Bac41, is disseminated among E. faecalis clinical strains and the Bac41 subtypes with

  2. Efficacy of passive ultrasonic irrigation with natural irrigants (Morinda citrifolia juice, Aloe Vera and Propolis) in comparison with 1% sodium hypochlorite for removal of E. faecalis biofilm: an in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhardwaj, Anuj; Velmurugan, Natanasabapathy; Ballal, Suma

    2013-01-01

    Present study evaluated the efficacy of natural derivative irrigants, Morinda citrifolia juice (MCJ), Aloe Vera and Propolis in comparison to 1% sodium hypochlorite with passive ultrasonic irrigation for removal of the intraradicular E. faecalis biofilms in extracted single rooted human permanent teeth. Biofilms of E. faecalis were grown on the prepared root canal walls of 60 standardized root halves which were longitudinally sectioned. These root halves were re-approximated and the samples were divided into five groups of twelve each. The groups were, Group A (1% NaOCl), Group B (MCJ), Group C (Aloe vera), Group D (Propolis) and Group E (Saline). These groups were treated with passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) along with the respective irrigants. The root halves were processed for scanning electron microscopy. Three images (X2.5), coronal, middle and apical, were taken for the twelve root halves in each of the five groups. The images were randomized and biofilm coverage assessed independently by three calibrated examiners, using a four-point scoring system. 1% NaOCl with passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) was effective in completely removing E. faecalis biofilm and was superior to the natural irrigants like MCJ, Aloe vera and Propolis tested in this study. 1% NaOCl used along with passive ultrasonic irrigation was effective in completely removing E. faecalis biofilm when compared to natural irrigants (MCJ, Aloe Vera and Propolis).

  3. Class IIa bacteriocin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis V583: The mannose PTS operon mediates global transcriptional responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Opsata Mona

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The class IIa bacteriocin, pediocin PA-1, has clear potential as food preservative and in the medical field to be used against Gram negative pathogen species as Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes. Resistance towards class IIa bacteriocins appear in laboratory and characterization of these phenotypes is important for their application. To gain insight into bacteriocin resistance we studied mutants of E. faecalis V583 resistant to pediocin PA-1 by use of transcriptomic analyses. Results Mutants of E. faecalis V583 resistant to pediocin PA-1 were isolated, and their gene expression profiles were analyzed and compared to the wild type using whole-genome microarray. Significantly altered transcription was detected from about 200 genes; most of them encoding proteins involved in energy metabolism and transport. Glycolytic genes were down-regulated in the mutants, but most of the genes showing differential expression were up-regulated. The data indicate that the mutants were relieved from glucose repression and putative catabolic responsive elements (cre could be identified in the upstream regions of 70% of the differentially expressed genes. Bacteriocin resistance was caused by reduced expression of the mpt operon encoding the mannose-specific phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS, and the same transcriptional changes were seen in a mptD-inactivated mutant. This mutant also had decreased transcription of the whole mpt operon, showing that the PTS is involved in its own transcriptional regulation. Conclusion Our data confirm the important role of mannose PTS in class IIa bacteriocin sensitivity and we demonstrate its importance involving global carbon catabolite control.

  4. Enterococcus hirae biofilm formation on hospital material surfaces and effect of new biocides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Lodovico, Silvia; Cataldi, Valentina; Di Campli, Emanuela; Ancarani, Elisabetta; Cellini, Luigina; Di Giulio, Mara

    2017-08-02

    Nowadays, the bacterial contamination in the hospital environment is of particular concern because the hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known as nosocomial infections, are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. This work evaluated the capability of Enterococcus hirae to form biofilm on different surfaces and the action of two biocides on the produced biofilms. The biofilm formation of E. hirae ATCC 10541 was studied on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces through the biomass quantification and the cell viability at 20 and 37 °C. The effect of LH IDROXI FAST and LH ENZYCLEAN SPRAY biocides on biomasses was expressed as percentage of biofilm reduction. E. hirae at 20 and 37 °C produced more biofilm on the stainless steel in respect to the polystyrene surface. The amount of viable cells was greater at 20 °C than with 37 °C on the two analyzed surfaces. Biocides revealed a good anti-biofilm activity with the most effect for LH ENZYCLEAN SPRAY on polystyrene and stainless steel at 37 °C with a maximum biofilm reduction of 85.72 and 86.37%, respectively. E. hirae is a moderate biofilm producer depending on surface material and temperature, and the analyzed biocides express a remarkable antibiofilm action. The capability of E. hirae to form biofilm can be associated with its increasing incidence in hospital-acquired infections, and the adoption of suitable disinfectants is strongly recommended.

  5. Study on the susceptibility of Enterococcus faecalis from infectious processes to ciprofloxacin and vancomycin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Genaro

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecalis is considered a pathogen responsible for hospital infections and, due to its frequent multi-resistant profile, has caused preoccupations among many medical authorities. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of 74 strains isolated from blood cultures and purulent secretions to vancomycin and ciprofloxacin through the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC by using the Microdilution test. The results showed a greater efficacy of vancomycin compared to ciprofloxacin (98.6% of the strains were inhibited by vancomycin at lower concentrations: 0.06 - 1 µg/ml. However, in the MBC analysis 73% of the strains showed a MBC of vancomycin only at high concentrations (equal to or higher than 64 µg/ml. For ciprofloxacin, the strains showed a broad sensitivity with MICs and MBCs distributed along all the MIC classes. Results also revealed a probability that some strains are tolerant to vancomycin, which indicates the need of other tests to confirm this characteristic.

  6. Comparison of the Antibacterial effect of Diapaste with Sealapex and Zinc Oxide-Eugenol (ZOE on Enterococcus Faecalis: A Laboratory Study

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    Reza Bahram Abadi

    Full Text Available Introduction: The antiseptic characteristic of root canal filling materials seems very critical in pulpectomy procedure to eliminate residual pathogens of root canals. The aim of this laboratory study was to compare the antibacterial activity of a newly introduced premixed calcium hydroxide root canal filling paste of deciduous teeth (Diapaste with Zinc Oxide-Eugenol (ZOE and Sealapex on Enterococcus faecalis. Materials & Methods: In this study, agar diffusion inhibitory test was used to assess antibacterial activity. Ten 10-cm-diameter dishes with 4.0mm thickness of agar inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis were used and four 5-mm-diameter wells per dish at equidistant points were filled with the three test root canal filling materials (Diapaste, ZOE and Sealapex and distilled water as a negative control was used to fill the fourth well. After incubation of the plates at 37oC for 48 hours, the diameter of the zones of bacterial growth inhibition produced around the wells was measured (in mm with a caliper. Data were analyzed by Kruskall-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Kruskall-Wallis test indicated that there were statistically significant differences (P<0.001 among median of the zones of bacterial growth inhibition produced by the three different materials. Mean diameter of inhibition zones of bacterial growth was significantly higher in Diapaste than Sealapex (P<0.001 and ZOE (P<0.001. Conclusion: With respect to the limitations of an in vitro study, it appears that Diapaste has more antibacterial activity than ZOE and Sealapex.

  7. Molecular Epidemiologic Analysis of Enterococcus faecalis Isolates in Cuba by Multilocus Sequence Typing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Nobumichi; Nagashima, Shigeo

    2009-01-01

    We carried out the first study of Enterococcus faecalis clinical isolates in Cuba by multilocus sequence typing linking the molecular typing data with the presence of virulence determinants and the antibiotic resistance genes. A total of 23 E. faecalis isolates recovered from several clinic sources and geographic areas of Cuba during a period between 2000 and 2005 were typed by multilocus sequence typing. Thirteen sequence types (STs) including five novel STs were identified, and the ST 64 (clonal complex [CC] 8), ST 6 (CC2), ST 21(CC21), and ST 16 (CC58) were found in more than one strain. Sixty-seven percent of STs corresponded to STs reported previously in Spain, Poland, and The Netherlands, and other STs (ST115, ST64, ST6, and ST40) were genetically close to those detected in the United States. Prevalence of both antimicrobial resistance genes [aac(6′)-aph(2″), aph(3′), ant(6), ant(3″)(9), aph(2″)-Id, aph(2″)-Ic, erm(B), erm(A), erm(C), mef(A), tet(M), and tet(L)] and virulence genes (agg, gelE, cylA, esp, ccf, and efaAfs) were examined by polymerase chain reaction. Aminoglycoside resistance genes aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia, aph(3′), ant(6), ant(3″)(9) were more frequently detected in ST6, ST16, ST23, ST64, and ST115. The multidrug resistance was distributed to all STs detected, except for ST117 and singleton ST225. The presence of cyl gene was specifically linked to the ST64 and ST16. Presence of the esp, gel, and agg genes was not specific to any particular ST. This research provided the first insight into the population structure of E. faecalis in Cuba, that is, most Cuban strains were related to European strains, whereas others to U.S. strains. The CC2, CC21, and CC8, three of the biggest CCs in the world, were evidently circulating in Cuba, associated with multidrug resistance and virulence traits. PMID:19857135

  8. Heat-Killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 Ameliorates Atopic Dermatitis in a Murine Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Eun-Ju; Iwasa, Masahiro; Han, Kwon-Il; Kim, Wan-Jae; Tang, Yujiao; Hwang, Young Joung; Chae, Jeong Ryong; Han, Weon Cheol; Shin, Yu-Su; Kim, Eun-Kyung

    2016-01-01

    Recent reports have shown the immunomodulatory effect of heat-killed lactic acid bacteria. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an allergic skin disease, caused by immune dysregulation among other factors. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 (EF-2001) on AD. We established an in vivo AD model by repeated local exposure of Dermatophagoides farinae extract (DFE; house dust mite extract) and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) to the ears of mice. After oral administration of EF-2001 for four weeks, the epidermal and dermal ear thickness, mast cell infiltration, and serum immunoglobulin levels were measured. In addition, the gene expression levels of pathogenic cytokines in the ears, lymph nodes, and splenocytes were assayed. EF-2001 attenuated AD symptoms based on the ear thickness, histopathological analysis, and serum immunoglobulin levels. Moreover, EF-2001 decreased the DFE/DNCB-induced expression of various pathogenic cytokines in the ears, lymph nodes, and splenocytes. These results suggest that EF-2001 has therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD owing to its immunomodulatory effects. PMID:26959058

  9. Heat-Killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 Ameliorates Atopic Dermatitis in a Murine Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eun-Ju Choi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Recent reports have shown the immunomodulatory effect of heat-killed lactic acid bacteria. Atopic dermatitis (AD is an allergic skin disease, caused by immune dysregulation among other factors. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 (EF-2001 on AD. We established an in vivo AD model by repeated local exposure of Dermatophagoides farinae extract (DFE; house dust mite extract and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB to the ears of mice. After oral administration of EF-2001 for four weeks, the epidermal and dermal ear thickness, mast cell infiltration, and serum immunoglobulin levels were measured. In addition, the gene expression levels of pathogenic cytokines in the ears, lymph nodes, and splenocytes were assayed. EF-2001 attenuated AD symptoms based on the ear thickness, histopathological analysis, and serum immunoglobulin levels. Moreover, EF-2001 decreased the DFE/DNCB-induced expression of various pathogenic cytokines in the ears, lymph nodes, and splenocytes. These results suggest that EF-2001 has therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD owing to its immunomodulatory effects.

  10. Maggot excretions inhibit biofilm formation on biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cazander, Gwendolyn; van de Veerdonk, Mariëlle C; Vandenbroucke-Grauls, Christina M J E; Schreurs, Marco W J; Jukema, Gerrolt N

    2010-10-01

    Biofilm-associated infections in trauma surgery are difficult to treat with conventional therapies. Therefore, it is important to develop new treatment modalities. Maggots in captured bags, which are permeable for larval excretions/secretions, aid in healing severe, infected wounds, suspect for biofilm formation. Therefore we presumed maggot excretions/secretions would reduce biofilm formation. We studied biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterobacter cloacae on polyethylene, titanium, and stainless steel. We compared the quantities of biofilm formation between the bacterial species on the various biomaterials and the quantity of biofilm formation after various incubation times. Maggot excretions/secretions were added to existing biofilms to examine their effect. Comb-like models of the biomaterials, made to fit in a 96-well microtiter plate, were incubated with bacterial suspension. The formed biofilms were stained in crystal violet, which was eluted in ethanol. The optical density (at 595 nm) of the eluate was determined to quantify biofilm formation. Maggot excretions/secretions were pipetted in different concentrations to (nonstained) 7-day-old biofilms, incubated 24 hours, and finally measured. The strongest biofilms were formed by S. aureus and S. epidermidis on polyethylene and the weakest on titanium. The highest quantity of biofilm formation was reached within 7 days for both bacteria. The presence of excretions/secretions reduced biofilm formation on all biomaterials. A maximum of 92% of biofilm reduction was measured. Our observations suggest maggot excretions/secretions decrease biofilm formation and could provide a new treatment for biofilm formation on infected biomaterials.

  11. Anaerobic bacteria grow within Candida albicans biofilms and induce biofilm formation in suspension cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Emily P; Cowley, Elise S; Nobile, Clarissa J; Hartooni, Nairi; Newman, Dianne K; Johnson, Alexander D

    2014-10-20

    The human microbiome contains diverse microorganisms, which share and compete for the same environmental niches. A major microbial growth form in the human body is the biofilm state, where tightly packed bacterial, archaeal, and fungal cells must cooperate and/or compete for resources in order to survive. We examined mixed biofilms composed of the major fungal species of the gut microbiome, Candida albicans, and each of five prevalent bacterial gastrointestinal inhabitants: Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. We observed that biofilms formed by C. albicans provide a hypoxic microenvironment that supports the growth of two anaerobic bacteria, even when cultured in ambient oxic conditions that are normally toxic to the bacteria. We also found that coculture with bacteria in biofilms induces massive gene expression changes in C. albicans, including upregulation of WOR1, which encodes a transcription regulator that controls a phenotypic switch in C. albicans, from the "white" cell type to the "opaque" cell type. Finally, we observed that in suspension cultures, C. perfringens induces aggregation of C. albicans into "mini-biofilms," which allow C. perfringens cells to survive in a normally toxic environment. This work indicates that bacteria and C. albicans interactions modulate the local chemistry of their environment in multiple ways to create niches favorable to their growth and survival. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. A propidium monoazide–quantitative PCR method for the detection and quantification of viable Enterococcus faecalis in large-volume samples of marine waters

    KAUST Repository

    Salam, Khaled W.; El-Fadel, Mutasem E.; Barbour, Elie K.; Saikaly, Pascal

    2014-01-01

    The development of rapid detection assays of cell viability is essential for monitoring the microbiological quality of water systems. Coupling propidium monoazide with quantitative PCR (PMA-qPCR) has been successfully applied in different studies for the detection and quantification of viable cells in small-volume samples (0.25-1.00 mL), but it has not been evaluated sufficiently in marine environments or in large-volume samples. In this study, we successfully integrated blue light-emitting diodes for photoactivating PMA and membrane filtration into the PMA-qPCR assay for the rapid detection and quantification of viable Enterococcus faecalis cells in 10-mL samples of marine waters. The assay was optimized in phosphate-buffered saline and seawater, reducing the qPCR signal of heat-killed E. faecalis cells by 4 log10 and 3 log10 units, respectively. Results suggest that high total dissolved solid concentration (32 g/L) in seawater can reduce PMA activity. Optimal PMA-qPCR standard curves with a 6-log dynamic range and detection limit of 102 cells/mL were generated for quantifying viable E. faecalis cells in marine waters. The developed assay was compared with the standard membrane filter (MF) method by quantifying viable E. faecalis cells in seawater samples exposed to solar radiation. The results of the developed PMA-qPCR assay did not match that of the standard MF method. This difference in the results reflects the different physiological states of E. faecalis cells in seawater. In conclusion, the developed assay is a rapid (∼5 h) method for the quantification of viable E. faecalis cells in marine recreational waters, which should be further improved and tested in different seawater settings. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

  13. A propidium monoazide–quantitative PCR method for the detection and quantification of viable Enterococcus faecalis in large-volume samples of marine waters

    KAUST Repository

    Salam, Khaled W.

    2014-08-23

    The development of rapid detection assays of cell viability is essential for monitoring the microbiological quality of water systems. Coupling propidium monoazide with quantitative PCR (PMA-qPCR) has been successfully applied in different studies for the detection and quantification of viable cells in small-volume samples (0.25-1.00 mL), but it has not been evaluated sufficiently in marine environments or in large-volume samples. In this study, we successfully integrated blue light-emitting diodes for photoactivating PMA and membrane filtration into the PMA-qPCR assay for the rapid detection and quantification of viable Enterococcus faecalis cells in 10-mL samples of marine waters. The assay was optimized in phosphate-buffered saline and seawater, reducing the qPCR signal of heat-killed E. faecalis cells by 4 log10 and 3 log10 units, respectively. Results suggest that high total dissolved solid concentration (32 g/L) in seawater can reduce PMA activity. Optimal PMA-qPCR standard curves with a 6-log dynamic range and detection limit of 102 cells/mL were generated for quantifying viable E. faecalis cells in marine waters. The developed assay was compared with the standard membrane filter (MF) method by quantifying viable E. faecalis cells in seawater samples exposed to solar radiation. The results of the developed PMA-qPCR assay did not match that of the standard MF method. This difference in the results reflects the different physiological states of E. faecalis cells in seawater. In conclusion, the developed assay is a rapid (∼5 h) method for the quantification of viable E. faecalis cells in marine recreational waters, which should be further improved and tested in different seawater settings. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

  14. Effective analysis of the use of peracetic acid after instrumentation of root canals contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cord, Caroline Berwanger; Velasco, Rafael Vidal Cortez; Ribeiro Melo Lima, Laíla Fernanda; Rocha, Daniel Guimarães Pedro; da Silveira Bueno, Carlos Eduardo; Pinheiro, Sérgio Luiz

    2014-08-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of peracetic acid (PAA) in cleaning root canals contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis. Sixty first and second mandibular molars were used. Their mesiobuccal canals were prepared with the Reciproc System (VDW, Munich, Germany). The canals were irrigated with 10 mL saline during instrumentation. The teeth were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 20), according to the irrigation solution to be used after instrumentation: group PAA (5 mL 1% PAA), group EDTA/sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (5 mL 17% EDTA followed by 5 mL 2.5% sodium hypochlorite), and group S (5 mL saline). Microbiological samples were collected before instrumentation and after final irrigation. Bacterial quantification was performed by counting the number of colony-forming units (CFUs/mL). The results were analyzed by the nonparametric Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The 3 groups showed a significant reduction (P  .05). According to the results of the present study, the effectiveness of 1% PAA was similar to that of 17% EDTA + 2.5% NaOCl in cleaning curved root canals contaminated with E. faecalis. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis by a direct-current, cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma microjet☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Ye; Sun, Peng; Wu, Haiyan; Bai, Na; Wang, Ruixue; Zhu, Weidong; Zhang, Jue; Liu, Fuxiang

    2010-01-01

    Objective A direct-current, cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma microjet (PMJ) was performed to inactivate Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in air. The process of sterilization and morphology of bacteria was observed. We wish to know the possible inactivation mechanisms of PMJ and explore a potential application in dental and other temperature sensitive treatment. Methods In this study, we employed a direct current, atmospheric pressure, cold air PMJ to inactivate bacterias. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the morphology of S. aureus and showed rupture of cell walls after the plasma treatment and Optical emission spectrum (OES) were used to understand the possible inactivation mechanisms of PMJ. Results The inactivation rates could reach 100% in 5 min. When the distance between the exit nozzle of the PMJ device and Petri dish was extended from 1 cm to 3 cm, effective inactivation was also observed with a similar inactivation curve. Conclusion The inactivation of bacteria is attributed to the abundant reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as ultroviolet radiation in the plasma. Different life spans and defensibilities of these killing agents may hold the key to understanding the different inactivation curves at different treatment distances. PMID:23554639

  16. Prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in infected root canals and their susceptibility to endodontic treatment procedures: a molecular study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stojanović, Nikola; Krunić, Jelena; Popović, Branka; Stojičić, Sonja; Zivković, Slavoljub

    2014-01-01

    Because apical periodontitis is recognizably an infectious disease, elimination or reduction of intracanal bacteria is of utmost importance for optimum treatment outcome. The prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in infected root canals was studied Also, the effect of endodontic therapy by using intracanal medicaments, calcium hydroxide paste (CH) or gutta-percha points containing calcium hydroxide (CH-GP) or chlorhexidine (CHX-GP) on these microorganisms was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Fifty-one patients with chronic apical periodontitis were randomly allocated in one of the fol- lowing groups according to the intracanal medicament used: CH, CH-GP and CHX-GP group. Bacterial samples were taken upon access (S1), after chemomechanical instrumentation (S2) and after 15-day medication (S3). PCR assay was used to detect the presence of selected bacteria. E. faecalis was detected in 49% (25/51) and P. gingivalis in 17.6% (9/51) of the samples. Samples which showed no bacterial presence at S1 were excluded from further analysis. Overall analysis of all 29 samples revealed significant differences between S1 and S2 (p endodontic infection. Intracanal medication in conduction with instrumentation and irrigation efficiently eliminates E. faecalis and P. gingivalis from infected root canals.

  17. Evidence for significantly enhancing reduction of Azo dyes in Escherichia coli by expressed cytoplasmic Azoreductase (AzoA) of Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, J; Heinze, T M; Xu, H; Cerniglia, C E; Chen, H

    2010-05-01

    Although cytoplasmic azoreductases have been purified and characterized from various bacteria, little evidence demonstrating that these azoreductases are directly involved in azo dye reduction in vivo is known. In order to evaluate the contribution of the enzyme to azo dye reduction in vivo, experiments were conducted to determine the effect of a recombinant cytoplasmic azoreductase (AzoA) from Enterococcus faecalis expressed in Escherichia coli on the rate of metabolism of Methyl Red, Ponceau BS and Orange II. The intact cells that contained IPTG induced AzoA had a higher rate of dye reduction with increases of 2 (Methyl Red), 4 (Ponceau BS) and 2.6 (Orange II)-fold compared to noninduced cells, respectively. Metabolites of Methyl Red isolated from induced cultures were identified as N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine and 2-aminobenzoic acid through liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) analyses. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that AzoA from Ent. faecalis is capable of increasing the reduction of azo dyes in intact E. coli cells and that cytoplasmic azoreductase is involved in bacterial dye degradation in vivo.

  18. Interaction between Galactomyces geotrichum KL20B, Lactobacillus plantarum LAT3 and Enterococcus faecalis KE06 during Milk Fermentation

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    Clemencia Chaves-López

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Microbial interactions are fundamental during milk fermentation, determining the product final characteristics. Galactomyces geotrichum, Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecalis are among the most common microorganisms in the Colombian Kumis. The aim of the research was to evaluate the yeast–bacteria interactions in milk fermentation at 28 °C. UHT (Ultra-High Temperature milk was inoculated with single- or multiple-strains associations and analysed periodically to determine the microbial counts, organic acids and total free amino acids (FAA. The results evidenced different growth performance of the strains in single or co-culture, with a positive effect of G. geotrichum KL20B on the lactic acid bacteria (LAB growth performance. All the strains consumed citric acid after 6 h of incubation with E. faecalis KE06 as the major consumer; however, all the co-cultures showed an early metabolism of citrate but with a low intake rate. In addition, the interaction between G. geotrichum KL20B and E. faecalis KE06 led to a low accumulation of acetic acid. Formic acid fluctuated during fermentation. The strains interaction also led to an increase in ethanol content and a lower accumulation of FAA. In conclusion, the three strains co-culture enhances the LAB viability, with high production of lactic acid and ethanol, as a consequence of adaptation to the environment and substrate exploitation. To our knowledge, this is the first time in which it is showed that G. geotrichum KL20B could be used to compensate for the slow acid-producing ability of Lb. plantarum and E. faecalis in milk, underlining that this consortium applies some mechanisms to regulate the growth and milk composition in acids and ethanol content.

  19. Enterocin 96, a Novel Class II Bacteriocin Produced by Enterococcus faecalis WHE 96, Isolated from Munster Cheese▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izquierdo, Esther; Wagner, Camille; Marchioni, Eric; Aoude-Werner, Dalal; Ennahar, Saïd

    2009-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis WHE 96, a strain isolated from soft cheese based on its anti-Listeria activity, produced a 5,494-Da bacteriocin that was purified to homogeneity by ultrafiltration and cation-exchange and reversed-phase chromatographies. The amino acid sequence of this bacteriocin, named enterocin 96, was determined by Edman degradation, and its structural gene was sequenced, revealing a double-glycine leader peptide. After a comparison with other bacteriocins, it was shown that enterocin 96 was a new class II bacteriocin that showed very little similarity with known structures. Enterocin 96 was indeed a new bacteriocin belonging to class II bacteriocins. The activity spectrum of enterocin 96 covered a wide range of bacteria, with strong activity against most gram-positive strains but very little or no activity against gram-negative strains. PMID:19411428

  20. Enterocin 96, a novel class II bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis WHE 96, isolated from Munster cheese.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izquierdo, Esther; Wagner, Camille; Marchioni, Eric; Aoude-Werner, Dalal; Ennahar, Saïd

    2009-07-01

    Enterococcus faecalis WHE 96, a strain isolated from soft cheese based on its anti-Listeria activity, produced a 5,494-Da bacteriocin that was purified to homogeneity by ultrafiltration and cation-exchange and reversed-phase chromatographies. The amino acid sequence of this bacteriocin, named enterocin 96, was determined by Edman degradation, and its structural gene was sequenced, revealing a double-glycine leader peptide. After a comparison with other bacteriocins, it was shown that enterocin 96 was a new class II bacteriocin that showed very little similarity with known structures. Enterocin 96 was indeed a new bacteriocin belonging to class II bacteriocins. The activity spectrum of enterocin 96 covered a wide range of bacteria, with strong activity against most gram-positive strains but very little or no activity against gram-negative strains.

  1. Conjugal transfer of aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia gene from native species and mechanism of regulation and cross resistance in Enterococcus faecalis MCC3063 by real time-PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaimee, G; Halami, P M

    2017-09-01

    High level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) in the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) derived from food animals is detrimental. The aim of this study was to investigate the localization and conjugal transfer of aminoglycoside resistance genes, aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia and aph(3')IIIa in different Enterococcus species. The cross resistance patterns in Enterococcus faecalis MCC3063 to clinically important aminoglycosides by real time PCR were also studied. Southern hybridization experiments revealed the presence of aac(6')Ie-aph(2 ″ )Ia and aph(3')IIIa genes conferring HLAR in high molecular weight plasmids except in Lactobacillus plantarum. The plasmid encoded bifunctional aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia gene was transferable from Enterococcus avium (n = 2), E. cecorum (n = 1), E. faecalis (n = 1) and Pediococcus lolii (n = 1) species into the recipient strain; E. faecalis JH2-2 by filter mating experiments thus indicating the possible risks of gene transfer into pathogenic strains. Molecular analysis of cross resistance patterns in native isolate of E. faecalis MCC3063 carrying aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia and aph(3')IIIa gene was displayed by quantification of the mRNA levels in this study. For this, the culture was induced with increasing concentrations of gentamicin, kanamycin and streptomycin (2048, 4096, 8192, 16384 μg/mL) individually. The increasing concentrations of gentamicin and kanamycin induced the expression of the aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia and aph(3')IIIa resistance genes, respectively. Interestingly, it was observed that induction with streptomycin triggered a significant fold increase in the expression of the aph(3')IIIa gene which otherwise was not known to modify the aminoglycoside. This is noteworthy as streptomycin was found to confer cross resistance to structurally unrelated kanamycin. Also, expression of the aph(3')IIIa gene when induced with streptomycin, revealed that bacteria harbouring this gene will be able to overcome streptomycin bactericidal action at

  2. Prevalence of antibiotic resistant coliform bacteria, Enterococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. in wastewater sewerage biofilm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lépesová, Kristína; Kraková, Lucia; Pangallo, Domenico; Medveďová, Alžbeta; Olejníková, Petra; Mackuľak, Tomáš; Tichý, Jozef; Grabic, Roman; Birošová, Lucia

    2018-03-28

    Urban wastewater contains different micropollutants and high number of different microorganisms. Some bacteria in wastewater can attach to the surfaces and form biofilm, which gives bacteria advantage in fight against environmental stress. This work is focused on bacterial community analysis in biofilms isolated from influent and effluent sewerage of wastewater treatment plant in Bratislava. Biofilm microbiota detection was performed by culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches. Composition of bacterial strains was detected by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting coupled with the construction of 16S rRNA clone libraries. The biofilm collected at the inlet point was characterized primarily by the presence of Pseudomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp. and Janthinobacterium sp. clones, while in the biofilm isolated at outflow of wastewater treatment plant members of Pseudomonas genus were largely detected. Beside this analysis prevalence of antibiotics and resistant coliforms, Enterococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. in sewerage was studied. In influent wastewater were dominant antibiotics like azithromycin, clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin. Removal efficiency of these antibiotics notably azithromycin and clarithromycin were 30% in most cases. The highest number of resistant bacteria with predominance of coliforms was detected in sample of effluent biofilm. Multidrug resistant strains in effluent biofilm showed very good ability to form biofilm. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Antimicrobial Effect of Citrus Aurantifolia Extract on Enterococcus Faecalis Within the Dentinal Tubules in The Presence of Smear Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharifian MR

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims: Instrumentation of the root canals results in formation of smear layer which covers the dentinal tubules. In infected teeth, it is ideal to achieve a material that has the ability to remove the smear layer besides antimicrobial activity. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Citrus aurantifolia extracts (lime juice and rind extract on Enterococcus faecalis within dentinal tubules in the presence of smear layer.Materials and Methods: One-hundred and forty dentin tubes were prepared from bovine incisors. After removal the smear layer, the specimens were infected with Enterococcus faecalis. Then, the smear layer was reformed. Test solutions were used as the irrigants in study roups as follows: group 1: 5.25% NaOCl; group 2: 17% EDTA; group 3: NaOCl+EDTA; group 4: Lime juice; group 5: ethanolic rind extract of C.aurantifolia; group 6: 96% ethanol. Dentin chips were collected from inner and outer layers of dentinal walls and optical density was measured. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tamhane tests.Results: In outer layer of dentin, the efficacy of rind extract was less than that of NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05. Also Lime juice was less effective than EDTA, NaOCl and NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05. In inner layer of dentin, Lime juice was significantly less effective than NaOCl and NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05. The efficacy of rind extract was less than that of NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05.Conclusion: In the presence of smear layer, the antimicrobial activity of Lime juice was less than that of NaOCl but the efficacy of rind extract was similar to that of NaOCl.

  4. Protection of mice from oral Candidiasis by heat-killed enterococcus faecalis, possibly through its direct binding to Candida albicans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishijima, Sanae A; Hayama, Kazumi; Ninomiya, Kentaro; Iwasa, Masahiro; Yamazaki, Masatoshi; Abe, Shigeru

    2014-01-01

    To develop a new therapy against oral candidiasis, a commensal microorganism, Enterococcus faecalis was tested for its ability to modulate Candida growth in vitro and its therapeutic activities against a murine model in vivo. Addition of heat-killed E. faecalis strain EF2001 (EF2001) isolated from healthy human feces to the culture of C. albicans strain TIMM1768 inhibited adherence of the latter to a microtiter plate in a dose dependent manner and Candida cells surrounded by EF2001 were increased. To examine the protective activities of EF2001 in vivo, heat-killed EF2001 was applied orally before and after inoculation of Candida to the tongue of mice previously immunosuppressed. Two days after inoculation this inoculation, both the symptom score and CFU from swabbed-tongue were significantly reduced in the EF2001-treated animals. Histological analysis indicated that EF2001 may potentiate the accumulation of polymorphnuclear cells near a Candida-infected region. These results suggest that oral administration of EF2001 has protective activity against oral candidiasis and that the in vivo activity may be reflected by direct interaction between EF2001 and Candida cells in vitro and the potentiation of an immunostimulatory effect of EF2001.

  5. Evaluation of antimicrobial effect of azadirachtin plant extract (Soluneem (™)) on commonly found root canal pathogenic microorganisms (viz. Enterococcus faecalis) in primary teeth: A microbiological study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Shanal; Venkataraghavan, Karthik; Choudhary, Prashant; Mohammad, Shameer; Trivedi, Krishna; Shah, Shalin G

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Soluneem ™ when used as an irrigating solution along with other commonly used irrigating solution sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) against Enterococcus faecalis. Microorganism used in this study was E. faecalis (Microbial Type Culture Collection 439). Test substance used was Soluneem ™, which was obtained from Vittal Mallya Scientific Research Foundation (VMSRF), Bengaluru. This study was conducted in a microbiology laboratory (Biocare Research India Pvt., Ltd. Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Gujarat) to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Soluneem ™ (Azadirachtin) on E. faecalis. Antimicrobial activity testing was performed using the macrobroth dilution method according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. All determinations were performed thrice. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was seen as 2.6% for Soluneem ™ while the same was seen at 0.1% for NaOCl. Independent sample t-test was carried out to compare the MBC of Soluneem ™ and NaOCl, which showed that there was no statistically significant difference between them, i.e., 2.6% Soluneem ™ was as effective as 0.1% NaOCl. Soluneem ™ showed antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis at various concentrations. It was also found that the efficacy of Soluneem ™ at 2.6% concentration and above was relatively similar to that of gold standard irrigating solution (NaOCl) on inhibition of E. faecalis.

  6. Cytotoxicity, interaction with dentine and efficacy on multispecies biofilms of a modified salt solution intended for endodontic disinfection in a new in vitro biofilm model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Waal, S V; Scheres, N; de Soet, J J; Wesselink, P R; Crielaard, W

    2015-02-01

    To investigate the cytotoxicity of a modified salt solution (MSS) and evaluate the antimicrobial properties of MSS on in vitro biofilm models. In a metabolic assay, fibroblasts derived from periodontal ligaments (PDL) of human extracted teeth were cultured and challenged with MSS or controls. Then, in active attachment biofilm models, the efficacy of MSS in the presence of dentine powder and in eliminating mature biofilms was investigated. In the dentine assay, a biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis was employed. For the final assay, microorganisms were retrieved from infected root canals and cultured to produce biofilms. After the treatments with MSS or the controls, the biofilms were collected, serially diluted and plated. The colony-forming units were counted. One-way anova was used to analyse the differences between the groups. A P 0.05). In endodontic biofilms, the culturable bacteria were equally reduced by MSS, 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) or 2% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (P > 0.05). Modified salt solution is noncytotoxic in vitro and has good antimicrobial properties equal to CHX and NaOCl. Although the results are promising, ex vivo and in vivo studies are needed before its use as an interappointment root canal dressing can be considered. © 2014 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Antibacterial activity of synthetic peptides derived from lactoferricin against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212.

    Science.gov (United States)

    León-Calvijo, María A; Leal-Castro, Aura L; Almanzar-Reina, Giovanni A; Rosas-Pérez, Jaiver E; García-Castañeda, Javier E; Rivera-Monroy, Zuly J

    2015-01-01

    Peptides derived from human and bovine lactoferricin were designed, synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF-MS. Specific changes in the sequences were designed as (i) the incorporation of unnatural amino acids in the sequence, the (ii) reduction or (iii) elongation of the peptide chain length, and (iv) synthesis of molecules with different number of branches containing the same sequence. For each peptide, the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was evaluated. Our results showed that Peptides I.2 (RWQWRWQWR) and I.4 ((RRWQWR)4K2Ahx2C2) exhibit bigger or similar activity against E. coli (MIC 4-33 μM) and E. faecalis (MIC 10-33 μM) when they were compared with lactoferricin protein (LF) and some of its derivate peptides as II.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGA) and IV.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGAPSITCVRRAE). It should be pointed out that Peptides I.2 and I.4, containing the RWQWR motif, are short and easy to synthesize; our results demonstrate that it is possible to design and obtain synthetic peptides that exhibit enhanced antibacterial activity using a methodology that is fast and low-cost and that allows obtaining products with a high degree of purity and high yield.

  8. Antibacterial Activity of Synthetic Peptides Derived from Lactoferricin against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María A. León-Calvijo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Peptides derived from human and bovine lactoferricin were designed, synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF-MS. Specific changes in the sequences were designed as (i the incorporation of unnatural amino acids in the sequence, the (ii reduction or (iii elongation of the peptide chain length, and (iv synthesis of molecules with different number of branches containing the same sequence. For each peptide, the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was evaluated. Our results showed that Peptides I.2 (RWQWRWQWR and I.4 ((RRWQWR4K2Ahx2C2 exhibit bigger or similar activity against E. coli (MIC 4–33 μM and E. faecalis (MIC 10–33 μM when they were compared with lactoferricin protein (LF and some of its derivate peptides as II.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGA and IV.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGAPSITCVRRAE. It should be pointed out that Peptides I.2 and I.4, containing the RWQWR motif, are short and easy to synthesize; our results demonstrate that it is possible to design and obtain synthetic peptides that exhibit enhanced antibacterial activity using a methodology that is fast and low-cost and that allows obtaining products with a high degree of purity and high yield.

  9. The Effect of Diode Laser on Planktonic Enterococcus faecalis in Infected Root Canals in an Ex Vivo Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cretella, Gilda; Lajolo, Carlo; Castagnola, Raffaella; Somma, Francesco; Inchingolo, MariaTeresa; Marigo, Luca

    2017-04-01

    This study examined the bactericidal effect of diode laser irradiation against intracanal Enterococcus faecalis. m total of 128 extracted single-rooted and single-canal teeth were treated with ProTaper instruments (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland). A total of 120 root canals were inoculated with E. faecalis for 21 days, and the samples were randomly divided into five groups: Group 1 (n = 24) samples were irrigated with only saline solution (positive controls); Group 2 (n = 24) was treated with only 5.25% sodium hypochlorite; Group 3 (n = 24) was irrigated with saline solutions activated by diode laser; Group 4 (n = 24) was treated with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite activated by diode laser; and Group 5 (n = 24) was irrigated with saline solution with methylene blue dye activated by the diode laser Fox (Sweden & Martina, Padova, Italy); additionally, eight teeth were not contaminated and their canals were irrigated with saline solution and used as a negative control. The Uro-Quick system was used to determine the microbial residual charge. The data were analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test (p  0.001). Evidence indicates that the diode laser was not more effective than sodium hypochlorite in reducing free bacteria.

  10. Expression of the Agmatine Deiminase Pathway in Enterococcus faecalis Is Activated by the AguR Regulator and Repressed by CcpA and PTSMan Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blancato, Víctor S.; Magni, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Although the agmatine deiminase system (AgDI) has been investigated in Enterococcus faecalis, little information is available with respect to its gene regulation. In this study we demonstrate that the presence of exogenous agmatine induces the expression of agu genes in this bacterium. In contrast to the homologous and extensively characterized AgDI system of S. mutants, the aguBDAC operon in E. faecalis is not induced in response to low pH. In spite of this, agmatine catabolism in this bacterium contributes by neutralizing the external medium while enhancing bacterial growth. Our results indicate that carbon catabolic repression (CCR) operates on the AgDI system via a mechanism that involves interaction of CcpA and P-Ser-HPr with a cre site found in an unusual position considering the aguB promoter (55 nt upstream the +1 position). In addition, we found that components of the mannose phosphotransferase (PTSMan) system also contributed to CCR in E. faecalis since a complete relief of the PTS-sugars repressive effect was observed only in a PTSMan and CcpA double defective strain. Our gene context analysis revealed that aguR is present in oral and gastrointestinal microorganisms. Thus, regulation of the aguBDAC operon in E. faecalis seems to have evolved to obtain energy and resist low pH conditions in order to persist and colonize gastrointestinal niches. PMID:24155893

  11. Evaluation of 4% Sodium Hypochlorite in eliminating Enterococcus faecalis from the Root Canal when Used with Three Irrigation Methods: An in vitro Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priyank, Harsh; Pandey, Vinisha; Bagul, Abhishek; Majety, Kishore Kumar; Verma, Parul; Choudhury, Basanta Kumar

    2017-03-01

    Endodontic treatment removes all pathogens, such as Enterococcus faecalis from pulp and root canals. The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of sodium hypo-chlorite (NaOCl) in removing E. faecalis from the root canal used with three different irrigation methods. This study was conducted on freshly extracted maxillary incisors. After biomechanical preparation, root canals were injected with E. faecalis. Three groups were made which contained 30 teeth in each group; 2 mL of NaOCl solution was used for irrigation followed by agitation with K-files in group I; 2 mL of NaOCl solution was used for irrigation and ultrasonic agitation was done in group II. In group III, an alternate irrigation with NaOCl and 3% hydrogen peroxide was done. The fourth group (control) was irrigated with sterile saline solution. E. fae-calis bacteria were sampled to the root canals with paper points and were transferred to tubes that contained 5 mL of brain heart infusion broth. Tubes were incubated and the presence of broth turbidity was suggestive of bacteria remaining in the root canal. All three groups showed no statistically significant difference. However, difference existed between experimental groups and control groups. The author concluded that all three methods of application of NaOCl were effective in disinfecting the root canal than the saline solution. No single irrigant has 100% efficiency. Thus by this study, a best irrigating solution with maximum properties can be established.

  12. Safety Evaluation of Enterocin Producer Enterococcus sp. Strains Isolated from Traditional Turkish Cheeses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avcı, Mine; Özden Tuncer, Banu

    2017-07-06

    The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity and occurrence of bacteriocin structural genes in Enterococcus spp. isolated from different cheeses and also investigate some of their virulence factors. Enterococcus strains were isolated from 33 different cheeses. Enterococcus faecium (6 strains) and Enterococcus faecalis (5 strains) enterocin-producing strains were identified by 16S rDNA analyses. Structural genes entA, entB, entP and entX were detected in some isolates. Multiple enterocin structural genes were found in 7 strains. None of the tested enterococci demonstrated anyβ-haemolytic activity and only one strain had gelatinase activity. Six strains showed multiple antibiotic resistance patterns and in addition, vanA and several virulence genes were detected in many strains. Only E. faecalis MBE1-9 showed tyrosine decarboxylase activity and tdc gene was detected only in this strain.

  13. Characterization of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREF) isolate from a dog with mastitis: further evidence of a clonal lineage of VREF in New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manson, Janet M; Keis, Stefanie; Smith, John M B; Cook, Gregory M

    2003-07-01

    We report here on the characterization of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREF) isolated from a dog with mastitis. The isolate was positive for the vanA, ermB, and tet(M) genes, with vanA and ermB carried on the same transferable plasmid. Comparison of this isolate with VREF from poultry and human sources in New Zealand demonstrated identical SmaI macrorestriction patterns and Tn1546-like elements. This is further evidence of a clonal lineage of VREF in New Zealand.

  14. Partial purification and characterization of bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis DU10 and its probiotic attributes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perumal, Venkatesh; Repally, Ayyanna; Dasari, Ankaiah; Venkatesan, Arul

    2016-10-02

    A novel bacteriocin produced by avian duck isolated lactic acid bacterium Enterococcus faecalis DU10 was isolated. This bacteriocin showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against important food-borne pathogens and was purified by size exclusion chromatography followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in a C-18 column. Tricine-SDS PAGE revealed the presence of a band with an estimated molecular mass of 6.3 kDa. The zymogram clearly linked the antimicrobial activity with this band. This result was further confirmed by mass-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, since a sharp peak corresponding to 6.313 kDa was detected and the functional groups were revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Bacteriocin DU10 activity was found sensitive to proteinase-K and pepsin and partially affected by trypsin and α-chymotrypsin. The activity of bacteriocin DU10 was partially resistant to heat treatments ranging from 30 to 90°C for 30 min. It also withstood a treatment at 121°C for 10 min. Cytotoxicity of bacteriocin DU10 by methyl-thiazolyl-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay showed that the viability of HT-29 and HeLa cells decreased 60 ± 0.7% and 43 ± 4.8%, respectively, in the presence of 3,200 AU/mL of bacteriocin. The strain withstood 0.3% w/v of bile oxgall and pH 2 affected the bacterial growth between 2 and 4 hr of incubation. Adhesion properties examined with HT-29 cell line showed 69.85% initial population of strain E. faecalis DU10, which was found to be strongly adhered to this cell line. These results conclude bacteriocin DU10 may be used as a potential biopreservative and E. faecalis DU10 may be used as a potential probiont to control Salmonella infections.

  15. An alternative magnesium-based root canal disinfectant: Preliminary study of its efficacy against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Zhu

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Organisms invading root canal systems result in serious pulpal and periapical disease. To eliminate microorganisms and restrain secondary infections, dental materials with antibacterial properties are urgently needed in endodontics. Magnesium is considered as a promising biodegradable and biocompatible implant material. However, there are barely researches about its application in endodontic therapy. This work investigated the in vitro efficacy of magnesium powder against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans compared with a common disinfectant, calcium hydroxide. With Calcium hydroxide served as a comparison it demonstrated the qualified antibacterial and anti-fungus properties of Mg as root canal disinfectant due to its high alkalinity of degradation, and the antimicrobial efficacy enhanced with the decreasing powder size.

  16. Effect of a Benzalkonium Chloride Surfactant-Sodium Hypochlorite Combination on Elimination of Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baron, Aleksandr; Lindsey, Kimberly; Sidow, Stephanie J; Dickinson, Douglas; Chuang, Augustine; McPherson, James C

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of a sodium hypochlorite-surfactant combination on the removal of Enterococcus faecalis from infected teeth. Sixty-four extracted human single canal anterior teeth were prepared with rotary instrumentation and sterilized. Teeth were divided into 4 groups, N = 16. Three experimental groups were inoculated with E. faecalis and cultured for 21 days before use: positive control group, no irrigation; NaOCl group, irrigated with 5 mL 6% NaOCl; and NaOCl/BAK group, irrigated with 5 mL 6% NaOCl/0.008% benzalkonium chloride (BAK). The negative control group received medium only and no inoculate. Paper point sampling of the canals was obtained before irrigation (S1) for all 4 groups and for 2 groups after irrigation (S2) to determine remaining colony-forming units. After sampling, all teeth were split in half and evaluated for bacterial viability colony-forming units and penetration of dentinal tubules by using fluorescent vital dye staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Comparison of pre-irrigation and post-irrigation paper point samples from the 2 irrigated groups showed a significant reduction in bacterial canal load (P < .001, Kruskal-Wallis), with a significantly lower load in the NaOCl/BAK group than in the NaOCl group (P = .001, Mann-Whitney U test); 68.8% of the NaOCl/BAK samples gave no recoverable counts. In contrast, no significant difference between these groups was found for counts recovered from dentin. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed no differences in tubule penetration. The addition of BAK to NaOCl significantly reduced the number of remaining bacteria within the canal after irrigation compared with NaOCl alone. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Evaluation of antimicrobial effect of azadirachtin plant extract (Soluneem ™ on commonly found root canal pathogenic microorganisms (viz. Enterococcus faecalis in primary teeth: A microbiological study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shanal Shah

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Soluneem ™ when used as an irrigating solution along with other commonly used irrigating solution sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl against Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: Microorganism used in this study was E. faecalis (Microbial Type Culture Collection 439. Test substance used was Soluneem ™, which was obtained from Vittal Mallya Scientific Research Foundation (VMSRF, Bengaluru. This study was conducted in a microbiology laboratory (Biocare Research India Pvt., Ltd. Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Gujarat to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Soluneem ™ (Azadirachtin on E. faecalis. Antimicrobial activity testing was performed using the macrobroth dilution method according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. All determinations were performed thrice. Results: Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC was seen as 2.6% for Soluneem ™ while the same was seen at 0.1% for NaOCl. Independent sample t-test was carried out to compare the MBC of Soluneem ™ and NaOCl, which showed that there was no statistically significant difference between them, i.e., 2.6% Soluneem ™ was as effective as 0.1% NaOCl. Conclusion: Soluneem ™ showed antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis at various concentrations. It was also found that the efficacy of Soluneem ™ at 2.6% concentration and above was relatively similar to that of gold standard irrigating solution (NaOCl on inhibition of E. faecalis.

  18. Evaluación in vitro de las cepas de Enterococcus faecalis y Enterococcus faecium, como potenciales probióticos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diana Alejandra Pico Veslin

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introducción: Los probióticos son conocidos como microrganismos vivos, que favorecen el equilibrio microbiano en el tracto gastrointestinal, sus metabolitos (ácidos orgánicos, ácido láctico, entre otros inhiben el crecimiento de patógenos, a nivel de sistema inmune activan la respuesta humoral (IL 2 y activan la fagocitosis. Diferentes estudios han demostrado que la utilización de probióticos en el sector avícola como suplemento, relegaría el uso de antibióticos, puesto que la utilización de los mismos, ha generado casos de resistencia bacteriana, afectando al consumidor final y  convirtiéndose en un problema de salud pública. El uso de probióticos según la FAO, encaminaría en estrategias de mejoramiento global del rendimiento y bienestar animal en  países en desarrollo. Objetivo: Identificar fenotípicamente el comportamiento de las cepas Enterorococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis aisladas del intestino de pollo de engorde y gallina comercial (Gallus gallus frente a  antibacterianos. Metodología: estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. Se tomaron muestras del mucus intestinal de las aves (íleon, yeyuno y duodeno  aisladas en medio MRS el cual permite evidenciar el crecimiento de bacterias ácido lácticas, se  realizaron pruebas microbiológicas y bioquímicas utilizando el sistema  semiautomatizado Crystal para Gram positivos  (BBLTM CrystalTM Gram-PositiveID Kit  posteriormente estas cepas fueron evaluadas en algunas características como potenciales probióticos: resistencia a pH bajo, concentraciones biliares de 0.1% a 0.3%, producción de hemolisinas, prueba de antagonismo;  posteriormente se evaluó un factor de virulencia,  la presencia de genes de resistencia a ciertos antibióticos; se realizó la caracterización fenotípica mediante difusión en disco Kirby Bauer , para evaluar la resistencia y/o sensibilidad, se  seleccionaron  los  antibióticos de las  familias Glicopetidos (Vancomicina, Inh

  19. Expression of the agmatine deiminase pathway in Enterococcus faecalis is activated by the AguR regulator and repressed by CcpA and PTS(Man systems.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristian Suárez

    Full Text Available Although the agmatine deiminase system (AgDI has been investigated in Enterococcus faecalis, little information is available with respect to its gene regulation. In this study we demonstrate that the presence of exogenous agmatine induces the expression of agu genes in this bacterium. In contrast to the homologous and extensively characterized AgDI system of S. mutants, the aguBDAC operon in E. faecalis is not induced in response to low pH. In spite of this, agmatine catabolism in this bacterium contributes by neutralizing the external medium while enhancing bacterial growth. Our results indicate that carbon catabolic repression (CCR operates on the AgDI system via a mechanism that involves interaction of CcpA and P-Ser-HPr with a cre site found in an unusual position considering the aguB promoter (55 nt upstream the +1 position. In addition, we found that components of the mannose phosphotransferase (PTS(Man system also contributed to CCR in E. faecalis since a complete relief of the PTS-sugars repressive effect was observed only in a PTS(Man and CcpA double defective strain. Our gene context analysis revealed that aguR is present in oral and gastrointestinal microorganisms. Thus, regulation of the aguBDAC operon in E. faecalis seems to have evolved to obtain energy and resist low pH conditions in order to persist and colonize gastrointestinal niches.

  20. New intracanal formulations containing doxycycline or chlorhexidine against Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Ana Rita Marques da; Pinto, Shelon Cristina Souza; Santos, Elizabete Brasil dos; Santos, Fábio André dos; Farago, Paulo Vitor; Gomes, João Carlos; Pina-Vaz, Irene; Carvalho, Manuel Fontes

    2014-01-01

    The present study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of two new intracanal preparations against E. faecalis. Thirty single-rooted human canine teeth were used. The crowns were removed and the roots were instrumented using a conventional technique. Three groups of ten teeth each were infected with 108 CFU/ ml of E. faecalis for 21 days. The root canals were flled with new intracanal medications containing 3% doxycycline hydrochloride (DX) or 2% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX). Ten teeth received no medication (NM)-negative control. Microbial samples were obtained 21 days after contamination: 14 days under the effect of the intracanal medications and 7 days after replacing the medications by BHI broth. The samples were homogenized, diluted, seeded on BHI agar and incubated for 48h/36°C. The number of colony forming units (CFU/ml) was obtained and analyzed statistically. All intracanal dressings significantly reduced the number of bacterial cells in the root canal after 14 days with medication. After the period with 7 days with BHI broth, the CFU counts of E. faecalis remained at low values. However, the NM group showed a significant increase of CFU in this period to similar values of the initial contamination. 3% doxycycline hydrochloride gel and 2% CHX gel were effective to eliminate E. faecalis from the root canal system.

  1. Transcriptome Changes of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 Laboratory Strains in Response to Photo-Degraded DOM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adelumola Oladeinde

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated gene expression changes in three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli C3000, Escherichia coli O157:H7 B6914, and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, commonly used as indicators of water quality and as control strains in clinical, food, and water microbiology laboratories. Bacterial transcriptome responses from pure cultures were monitored in microcosms containing water amended with manure-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM, previously exposed to simulated sunlight for 12 h. We used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase (qRT-PCR to compare differentially expressed temporal transcripts between bacteria incubated in microcosms containing sunlight irradiated and non-irradiated DOM, for up to 24 h. In addition, we used whole genome sequencing simultaneously with RNA-seq to identify single nucleotide variants (SNV acquired in bacterial populations during incubation. These results indicate that E. coli and E. faecalis have different mechanisms for removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS produced from irradiated DOM. They are also able to produce micromolar concentrations of H2O2 from non-irradiated DOM, that should be detrimental to other bacteria present in the environment. Notably, this study provides an assessment of the role of two conjugative plasmids carried by the E. faecalis and highlights the differences in the overall survival dynamics of environmentally-relevant bacteria in the presence of naturally-produced ROS.

  2. Frequency of enterococcus faecalis in saliva and root canals with treatment failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, I.; Shan, T.; Manzoor, M.A.

    2015-01-01

    To compare the frequency of E. faecalis in the saliva and root canals of teeth associated with apical periodontitis due to endodontic treatment failure in the same patient. Study Design: Cross-sectional comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected from Operative Dentistry Department, AFID, while laboratory processing was done at AFIP, Rawalpindi. Study duration was one year. Patients and Methods: Fifty patients, both males and females with failed endodontic treatment were selected. Saliva and root canal samples were collected from each patient, inoculated on MacKonkey agar plate and incubated at 35-37 degree C for 48 hrs. E. faecalis colonies were identified by colony morphology, gramstain, catalase, bile asculin test, arabinose fermentation and growth in 6% NaCl nutrient broth. Results: The frequency of E. faecalis in saliva was 34% and in root canal it was 58%. Frequency between the presence of E. faecalis in root canals and saliva was found to be statistically different (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The presence of E. faecalis in root canal was not associated with their presence in saliva. (author)

  3. Frequency of enterococcus faecalis in saliva and root canals with treatment failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shan, T.; Manzoor, M.A.; Hussain, W.

    2014-01-01

    To compare the frequency of E.faecalis in the saliva and root canals of teeth associated with apical periodontitis due to endodontic treatment failure Study. Design: Cross-sectional comparative. Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected from Operative Dentistry department, AFID, while laboratory processing was done at AFIP, Rawalpindi. Duration of this study was one year. Patients and Method: Fifty patients, both males and females with failed endodontic treatment were selected. Saliva and root canal samples were collected from each patient, inoculated on MacKonkey agar plate and incubated at 35-370 C for 48 hours. E.faecalis colonies were identified by colony morphology, Gram stain, catalase, bile asculin test, arabinose fermentation and growth in 6% NaCl nutrient broth. Results: The frequency of E.faecalis in saliva was 34% and 58% in root canal samples. Frequency of the presence of E.faecalis in root canals and saliva was found to be statistically different (p=0.000). Conclusion: The presence of E.faecalis in root canal was not associated with their presence in saliva. (author)

  4. Evaluation of polymorphisms in pbp4 gene and genetic diversity in penicillin-resistant, ampicillin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis from hospitals in different states in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Infante, Victor Hugo Pacagnelli; Conceição, Natália; de Oliveira, Adriana Gonçalves; Darini, Ana Lúcia da Costa

    2016-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to verify whether penicillin-resistant, ampicillin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis (PRASEF) occurred in Brazil prior to the beginning of the 21st century, and to verify whether ampicillin susceptibility can predict susceptibility to other β-lactams in E. faecalis with this inconsistent phenotype. The presence of polymorphisms in the pbp4 gene and genetic diversity among the isolates were investigated. Of 21 PRASEF analyzed, 5 (23.8%) and 4 (19.0%) were imipenem and piperacillin resistant simultaneously by disk diffusion and broth dilution respectively, contradicting the current internationally accepted standards of susceptibility testing. Sequencing of pbp4 gene revealed an amino acid substitution (Asp-573→Glu) in all PRASEF isolates but not in the penicillin-susceptible, ampicillin-susceptible E. faecalis. Most PRASEF (90.5%) had related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles, but were different from other PRASEF described to date. Results demonstrate that penicillin-resistant, ampicillin-susceptible phenotype was already a reality in the 1990s in E. faecalis isolates in different Brazilian states, and some of these isolates were also imipenem- and piperacillin-resistant; therefore, internationally accepted susceptibility criteria cannot be applied to these isolates. According to pbp4 gene sequencing, this study suggests that a specific amino acid substitution in pbp4 gene found in all PRASEF analyzed is associated with penicillin resistance. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. The extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigV plays a key role in the original model of lysozyme resistance and virulence of Enterococcus faecalis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André Le Jeune

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Enterococcus faecalis is one of the leading agents of nosocomial infections. To cause diseases, pathogens or opportunistic bacteria have to adapt and survive to the defense systems encountered in the host. One of the most important compounds of the host innate defense response against invading microorganisms is lysozyme. It is found in a wide variety of body fluids, as well as in cells of the innate immune system. Lysozyme could act either as a muramidase and/or as a cationic antimicrobial peptide. Like Staphylococcus aureus, E. faecalis is one of the few bacteria that are completely lysozyme resistant. RESULTS: This study revealed that oatA (O-acetyl transferase and dlt (D-Alanylation of lipoteicoic acids genes contribute only partly to the lysozyme resistance of E. faecalis and that a specific transcriptional regulator, the extracytoplasmic function SigV sigma factor plays a key role in this event. Indeed, the sigV single mutant is as sensitive as the oatA/dltA double mutant, and the sigV/oatA/dltA triple mutant displays the highest level of lysozyme sensitivity suggesting synergistic effects of these genes. In S. aureus, mutation of both oatA and dlt genes abolishes completely the lysozyme resistance, whereas this is not the case in E. faecalis. Interestingly SigV does not control neither oatA nor dlt genes. Moreover, the sigV mutants clearly showed a reduced capacity to colonize host tissues, as they are significantly less recovered than the parental JH2-2 strain from organs of mice subjected to intravenous or urinary tract infections. CONCLUSIONS: This work led to the discovery of an original model of lysozyme resistance mechanism which is obviously more complex than those described for other Gram positive pathogens. Moreover, our data provide evidences for a direct link between lysozyme resistance and virulence of E. faecalis.

  6. In vitro antimicrobial activity of auxiliary chemical substances and natural extracts on Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis in root canals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcia Carneiro Valera

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of auxiliary chemical substances and natural extracts on Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis inoculated in root canals. Material and Methods: Seventy-two human tooth roots were contaminated with C. albicans and E. faecalis for 21 days. The groups were divided according to the auxiliary chemical substance into: G1 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl, G2 2% chlorhexidine gel (CHX, G3 castor oil, G4 glycolic Aloe vera extract, G5 glycolic ginger extract, and G6 sterile saline (control. The samples of the root canal were collected at different intervals: confirmation collection, at 21 days after contamination; 1st collection, after instrumentation; and 2nd collection, seven days after instrumentation. Microbiological samples were grown in culture medium and incubated at 37°C for 48 hours. Results: The results were submitted to the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn (5% statistical tests. NaOCl and CHX completely eliminated the microorganisms of the root canals. Castor oil and ginger significantly reduced the number of CFU of the tested bacteria. Reduction of CFU/mL at the 1st and 2nd collections for groups G1, G2, G3 and G4 was greater in comparison to groups G5 and G6. Conclusion: It was concluded that 2.5% sodium hypochlorite and 2% chlorhexidine gel were more effective in eliminating C. albicans and E. faecalis, followed by the castor oil and glycolic ginger extract. The Aloe vera extract showed no antimicrobial activity.

  7. Prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in infected root canals and their susceptibility to endodontic treatment procedures: A molecular study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stojanović Nikola

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Because apical periodontitis is recognizably an infectious disease, elimination or reduction of intracanal bacteria is of utmost importance for optimum treatment outcome. Objective. The prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in infected root canals was studied Also, the effect of endodontic therapy by using intracanal medicaments, calcium hydroxide paste (CH or gutta-percha points containing calcium hydroxide (CH-GP or chlorhexidine (CHX-GP on these microorganisms was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR assay. Methods. Fifty-one patients with chronic apical periodontitis were randomly allocated in one of the following groups according to the intracanal medicament used: CH, CH-GP and CHX-GP group. Bacterial samples were taken upon access (S1, after chemomechanical instrumentation (S2 and after 15-day medication (S3. PCR assay was used to detect the presence of selected bacteria. Results. E. faecalis was detected in 49% (25/51 and P. gingivalis in 17.6% (9/51 of the samples. Samples which showed no bacterial presence at S1 were excluded from further analysis. Overall analysis of all 29 samples revealed significant differences between S1 and S2 (p<0.001, S2 and S3 (p<0.05, and S1 and S3 (p<0.001. When distinction was made between the intracanal medications, there was a significant difference in the number of PCR positive samples between S1 and S2, S1 and S3, but not between S2 and S3 samples. Conclusion. E. faecalis is more prevalent than P. gingivalis in primary endodontic infection. Intracanal medication in conduction with instrumentation and irrigation efficiently eliminates E. faecalis and P. gingivalis from infected root canals.

  8. Effects of Ozone and Photo‑Activated Disinfection against ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the antibacterial effects of gaseous ozone (O3) and photo‑activated disinfection (PAD) methods against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) biofilms. Materials and Methods: Sixty‑five human mandibular premolars with straight root canals were selected. After root canal ...

  9. An in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity of five herbal extracts and comparison of their activity with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Divya Saxena

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Sodium hypochlorite is the most widely used irrigant in endodontic practice, but it has various disadvantages. Literature has shown that herbal products such as Propolis, Azadirachta indica (AI, Triphala, Curcuma longa, and Morinda citrifolia (MC possess good antimicrobial properties and thus can be used as potential endodontic irrigants. Aim: To evaluate and compare the antimicrobial activity of five herbal extracts, i.e., Propolis, AI, Triphala, C. longa, and MC with that of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: E. faecalis American Type Culture Collection 21292 was inoculated onto brain heart infusion agar plate. Discs impregnated with herbal medicaments were placed on the inoculated plates and incubated at 37°C aerobically for 24 h and growth inhibition zones were measured. Statistical Analysis: Mean zone of inhibition in descending order was found as sodium hypochlorite > Propolis > AI > Triphala > C. longa = MC > ethanol. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance which showed a significant difference in the zone of inhibition of sodium hypochlorite and Propolis (P < 0.001. Results: Propolis showed highest zone of inhibition among all the herbal extracts next to sodium hypochlorite. Conclusion: Propolis and AI have significant antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis.

  10. Histopathological changes induced in an animal model by potentially pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis strains recovered from ready-to-eat food outlets in Osun State, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olawale AK

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Adetunji Kola Olawale,1,2 Oluwole Moses David,2,3 Adekemi Olubukunola Oluyege,2 Richard Temitope Osuntoyinbo,4 Solomon Anjuwon Laleye,5 Oladiran Famurewa,21Department of Applied Sciences, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, 2Department of Microbiology, University of Ado-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria; 3Phytomedicine Research Centre, Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa; 4Department of Microbiology, Waterford Regional Hospital, Waterford, Republic of Ireland; 5Department of Microbiology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, NigeriaAbstract: Enterococci have been implicated as an emerging important cause of several diseases and multiple antibiotic resistance. However, there is little information about the prevalence of pathogenic and/or antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in ready-to-eat foods in Nigeria. Here we report the pathogenic potential of three selected antibiotic-resistant E. faecalis strains isolated from food canteens and food outlets with different virulence determinant genes, including EFC 12 (with gel+, esp+, cylA+, and asa1+, EFT 148 (with gel+, ace+, and asa1+, and EFS 18 (with esp+ and cylA+ in an animal model. Enterococcemia, hematological parameters, and histopathological changes in organ tissues were examined in experimental animals. The results showed differences in enterococcemia and hematological parameters between the control group and experimental animal group. Enterococcemia was observed for 7 days, and the animal group infected with EFC 12 showed the highest growth rate, followed by EFT 148, with the lowest growth rate seen in the EFS 18-infected group. White blood cell count, packed cell volume, and platelets were significantly reduced (P<0.05 in the experimental animals compared with the controls. White blood cells decreased drastically during the study period in rats challenged with EFC 12 (from 7,800 to 6,120 per mm3 but levels remained higher in the control group (from 9,228 to 9

  11. Removal of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis after Hand Washing with Antimicrobial and Nonantimicrobial Soap and Persistence of These Bacteria in Rinsates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Garza, J; García, S; Heredia, N

    2017-10-01

    Food handlers are important sources of contamination in the agricultural environment. This study was conducted (i) to evaluate the activity of antimicrobial soaps against Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis using a hand washing model with soiled hands and (ii) to determine the survival and persistence of these bacteria in rinsates. Sterilized agricultural soil from tomato and pepper farms was inoculated with E. coli or E. faecalis at 10 3 or 10 6 CFU/g. Decontaminated hands were placed in contact with contaminated soil for 2 min and were then washed with soaps with or without antimicrobial compounds (citric extracts, chloroxylenol, triclosan, or chlorhexidine gluconate). As the control, hands were washed with sterile distilled water. The levels of bacteria remaining on the hands and recovered from the rinsates were determined using a membrane filtration method and selective media. Antimicrobial soaps removed levels of E. coli similar to those removed by distilled water and nonantimicrobial soap on hands contaminated with E. coli at 10 3 CFU/g. However, when hands were contaminated with E. coli at 10 6 CFU/g, more E. coli was removed with the chlorhexidine gluconate soap. When hands were contaminated with E. faecalis at 10 3 CFU/g, bacteria were removed more effectively with soaps containing chloroxylenol or chlorhexidine gluconate. When hands were contaminated with E. faecalis at 10 6 CFU/g, all of the antimicrobial soaps were more effective for removing the bacteria than were distilled water and nonantimicrobial soap. E. coli grew in all of the hand washing rinsates except that containing triclosan, whereas E. faecalis from the 10 6 CFU/g treatments grew in rinsates containing chlorhexidine gluconate and in the distilled water rinsates. Washing with antimicrobial soap was more effective for reducing bacteria on soiled hands than was washing with water or nonantimicrobial soap. However, persistence or growth of bacteria in these rinsates poses health risks.

  12. Efecto antibacteriano de las pastas 3 mix-mp y calen pmcc® en un biofilm de tres bacterias predominantes en periodontitis apical crónica

    OpenAIRE

    Salcedo Moncada, Doris Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar ”in vitro” la actividad antibacteriana de dos pastas: 3 Mix-MP y Calen PMCC® como medicación intraconducto en un biofilm formado por 3 cepas: Porphyromona Gingivalis, Enterococcus Faecalis y Peptostreptococcus Anaerobius, presentes en Periodontis apical crónica; se utilizaron 32 piezas dentarias (premolares) a las cuales se les aplicó el mismo protocolo: fueron instrumentadas con sistema Mtwo hasta la lima 40.04, luego 22 piezas fueron seccionadas...

  13. Enterococcus faecium small colony variant endocarditis in an immunocompetent patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Hernández Egido

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Small colony variants (SCV are slow-growing subpopulations of bacteria usually associated with auxotrophism, causing persistent or recurrent infections. Enterococcus faecalis SCV have been seldom described, and only one case of Enterococcus faecium SCV has been reported, associated with sepsis in a leukaemia patient. Here we report the first case described of bacteraemia and endocarditis by SCV E. faecium in an immunocompetent patient.

  14. Comparison of the antibacterial effect of sodium hypochlorite and aloe vera solutions as root canal irrigants in human extracted teeth contaminated with enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahebi, S; Khosravifar, N; Sedighshamsi, M; Motamedifar, M

    2014-03-01

    The main purpose of a root canal treatment is to eliminate the bacteria and their products from the pulp space. Sodium hypochlorite has excellent antibacterial properties, but also some negative features. The aim of the present study is to compare the antimicrobial effect of Aloe Vera solution with sodium hypochlorite on E.faecalis in the root canals of human extracted teeth. Sixty human extracted single rooted teeth were selected for this in vitro study. The teeth recruited in this study had no cracks, internal resorption, external resorption and calcification. Enterococcus faecalis was injected in the root canals of all teeth. The teeth were then divided into three groups randomly. Each group consisted of 20 teeth that were all rinsed with one of the following solutions: sodium hypochlorite 2.5%, Aloe vera and normal saline. Subsequent to rinsing, root canals of all teeth were sampled. The samples were cultured and growth of the bacteria was assessed after 48 hours. The number of colonies of the bacteria was then counted. The difference between the inhibitory effect of Aloe vera and normal saline on E.faecalis was not significant according to independent t-test (p= 0.966). The inhibitory effect of sodium hypochlorite on E.faecalis was much greater than that of Aloe vera and normal saline (pvera solution is not recommended as a root canal irrigator, but future studies are suggested to investigate the antibacterial effect of Aloe vera with longer duration of exposure and as an intra canal medicament.

  15. Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic extract of Aloe vera, garlic, and 5% sodium hypochlorite as root canal irrigants against Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karkare, Swati Ramesh; Ahire, Nivedita Pramod; Khedkar, Smita Uday

    2015-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis are the most resistant and predominant microorganisms recovered from root canals of teeth where previous treatment has failed. Over the past decade, interest in drugs derived from medicinal plants has markedly increased. In dentistry, phytomedicines has been used as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, analgesic, sedative, and also as an endodontic irrigant. In endodontics, because of the cytotoxic reactions of most of the commercial intracanal medicaments and their inability to eliminate bacteria completely from dentinal tubules, the trend is shifting toward use of biologic medication extracted from natural plants. To compare the antimicrobial efficacy of newer irrigating agents which would probably be as effective or more and at the same time less irritating to the tissues than sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The objective of this study was to compare the antimicrobial activity of saturated and diluted (1:1) hydroalcoholic extract of Aloe vera, garlic, and 5% NaOCl against E. faecalis using the commonly used agar diffusion method. Saturated hydroalcoholic extract of A. vera showed the highest zone of inhibition against E. faecalis. NaOCl, which is considered as gold standard, also showed higher zones of inhibition.

  16. Inactivation of bacterial biofilms using visible-light-activated unmodified ZnO nanorods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aponiene, Kristina; Serevičius, Tomas; Luksiene, Zivile; Juršėnas, Saulius

    2017-09-01

    Various zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are widely used for photocatalytic antibacterial applications. Since ZnO possesses a wide bandgap, it is believed that only UV light may efficiently assist bacterial inactivation, and diverse crystal lattice modifications should be applied in order to narrow the bandgap for efficient visible-light absorption. In this work we show that even unmodified ZnO nanorods grown by an aqueous chemical growth technique are found to possess intrinsic defects that can be activated by visible light (λ = 405 nm) and successfully applied for total inactivation of various highly resistant bacterial biofilms rather than more sensitive planktonic bacteria. Time-resolved fluorescence analysis has revealed that visible-light excitation creates long-lived charge carriers (τ > 1 μs), which might be crucial for destructive biochemical reactions achieving significant bacterial biofilm inactivation. ZnO nanorods covered with bacterial biofilms of Enterococcus faecalis MSCL 302 after illumination by visible light (λ = 405 nm) were inactivated by 2 log, and Listeria monocytogenes ATCL3C 7644 and Escherichia coli O157:H7 biofilms by 4 log. Heterogenic waste-water microbial biofilms, consisting of a mixed population of mesophilic bacteria after illumination with visible light were also completely destroyed.

  17. Antibacterial efficacy of Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea tree oil, Curcuma longa (Turmeric, 2% chlorhexidine, and 5% sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dakshita Joy Sinha

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To evaluate and compare the antibacterial efficacy of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil, Curcumalonga (turmeric, 2% chlorhexidine (CHX, and 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl against Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: Agar plates were prepared using tryptone soya agar. Cultures of E. faecalis were grown in tryptone soya broth. Agar well diffusion method was performed and the plates were incubated at 37΀C for 24 h. The zones of inhibition were recorded. The readings were subjected to statistical analysis using analysis of variance (ANOVA and Tukey′s post hoc test. P-value was considered significant at P < 0.05. Results: Maximum antibacterial efficacy was exhibited by 2% CHX, followed by 5% NaOCl and C. longa with no statistically significant difference between them. It was followed by M. alternifolia (Tea tree oil. Ethanol and saline showed the least antibacterial action. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, C. longa and M. alternifolia can be used as an alternative root canal irrigant, although long-term in vivo studies are warranted.

  18. Enterococcus infection biology: lessons from invertebrate host models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuen, Grace J; Ausubel, Frederick M

    2014-03-01

    The enterococci are commensals of the gastrointestinal tract of many metazoans, from insects to humans. While they normally do not cause disease in the intestine, they can become pathogenic when they infect sites outside of the gut. Recently, the enterococci have become important nosocomial pathogens, with the majority of human enterococcal infections caused by two species, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Studies using invertebrate infection models have revealed insights into the biology of enterococcal infections, as well as general principles underlying host innate immune defense. This review highlights recent findings on Enterococcus infection biology from two invertebrate infection models, the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella and the free-living bacteriovorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

  19. Mevalonate 5-diphosphate mediates ATP binding to the mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase from the bacterial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Chun-Liang; Mermoud, James C.; Paul, Lake N.; Steussy, Calvin Nicklaus; Stauffacher, Cynthia V. (Purdue)

    2017-10-12

    The mevalonate pathway produces isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP), a building block for polyisoprenoid synthesis, and is a crucial pathway for growth of the human bacterial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. The final enzyme in this pathway, mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD), acts on mevalonate diphosphate (MVAPP) to produce IPP while consuming ATP. This essential enzyme has been suggested as a therapeutic target for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections. Here, we report functional and structural studies on the mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase from E. faecalis (MDDEF). The MDDEF crystal structure in complex with ATP (MDDEF–ATP) revealed that the phosphate-binding loop (amino acids 97–105) is not involved in ATP binding and that the phosphate tail of ATP in this structure is in an outward-facing position pointing away from the active site. This suggested that binding of MDDEF to MVAPP is necessary to guide ATP into a catalytically favorable position. Enzymology experiments show that the MDDEF performs a sequential ordered bi-substrate reaction with MVAPP as the first substrate, consistent with the isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments. On the basis of ITC results, we propose that this initial prerequisite binding of MVAPP enhances ATP binding. In summary, our findings reveal a substrate-induced substrate-binding event that occurs during the MDDEF-catalyzed reaction. The disengagement of the phosphate-binding loop concomitant with the alternative ATP-binding configuration may provide the structural basis for antimicrobial design against these pathogenic enterococci.

  20. A second dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (Type A) of the human pathogen Enterococcus faecalis: expression, purification, and steady-state kinetic mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcinkeviciene, J; Jiang, W; Locke, G; Kopcho, L M; Rogers, M J; Copeland, R A

    2000-05-01

    We report the identification, expression, and characterization of a second Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODase A) from the human pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. The enzyme consists of a polypeptide chain of 322 amino acids that shares 68% identity with the cognate type A enzyme from the bacterium Lactococcus lactis. E. faecalis DHODase A catalyzed the oxidation of l-dihydroorotate while reducing a number of substrates, including fumarate, coenzyme Q(0), and menadione. The steady-state kinetic mechanism has been determined with menadione as an oxidizing substrate at pH 7.5. Initial velocity and product inhibition data suggest that the enzyme follows a two-site nonclassical ping-pong kinetic mechanism. The absorbance of the active site FMN cofactor is quenched in a concentration-dependent manner by titration with orotate and barbituric acid, two competitive inhibitors with respect to dihydroorotate. In contrast, titration of the enzyme with menadione had no effect on FMN absorbance, consistent with nonoverlapping binding sites for dihyroorotate and menadione, as suggested from the kinetic mechanism. The reductive half-reaction has been shown to be only partially rate limiting, and an attempt to evaluate the slow step in the overall reaction has been made by simulating orotate production under steady-state conditions. Our data indicate that the oxidative half-reaction is a rate-limiting segment, while orotate, most likely, retains significant affinity for the reduced enzyme, as suggested by the product inhibition pattern. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  1. Isolation of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus from apparently healthy human animal attendants, cattle and cattle wastes in Tanzania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madoshi, B. P.; Mtambo, M. M.A.; Muhairwa, A. P.

    2018-01-01

    faecalis was the most prevalent species from all sources of isolation (43·5%), followed by Enterococcus faecium (38·4%). Isolates of E. faecium showed a higher number of phenotypic antimicrobial resistance than isolates of E. faecalis. Fifty-eight isolates, which showed resistance or intermediate...

  2. Rapid Assessment of Resistance to Antibiotic Inhibitors of Protein Synthesis in the Gram-Positive Pathogens, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae, Based on Evaluation of the Lytic Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otero, Fátima; Tamayo, María; Santiso, Rebeca; Gosálvez, Jaime; Bou, Germán; Fernández, José Luis

    2017-04-01

    A novel assay for rapid determination of resistance to antibiotic inhibitors of protein synthesis was developed for the gram-positive pathogens, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae. To this purpose, a lytic response was obtained by a brief incubation with lysozyme or a mixture of lysozyme, Triton X-100, and EDTA for E. faecalis (n = 82) and S. pneumoniae (n = 51), respectively. Lysis was quantified by visualizing the released nucleoids. Antibiotic-susceptible bacteria treated with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) breakpoint doses of erythromycin, azithromycin, or doxycycline that inhibited protein synthesis demonstrated a large reduction of lysed cells with respect to the control, that is, without antibiotics. However, cell lysis prevention was much lower in nonsusceptible strains, with unsuccessful inhibition of protein synthesis. ROC analysis showed that a reduction value of ≥35.6% and ≥40.4% discriminates susceptible and nonsusceptible strains for erythromycin and for doxycycline, respectively, in E. faecalis, whereas ≥20.0% is adequate for both macrolides and doxycycline in S. pneumoniae. Resistant stains were identified in 90-120 min with sensitivity and specificity between 91.7% and 100%. This is a proof of concept that evaluation of the lytic response may be a rapid and efficient test for determination of resistance to antibiotic inhibitors of protein synthesis.

  3. Photodynamic therapy versus ultrasonic irrigation: interaction with endodontic microbial biofilm, an ex vivo study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhammad, Omid H; Chevalier, Marlene; Rocca, Jean-Paul; Brulat-Bouchard, Nathalie; Medioni, Etienne

    2014-06-01

    Photodynamic therapy was introduced as an adjuvant to conventional chemo-mechanical debridement during endodontic treatment to overcome the persistence of biofilms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of photodynamic therapy (PDT) to disrupt an experimental microbial biofilm inside the root canal in a clinically applicable working time. Thirty extracted teeth were prepared and then divided in three groups. All samples were infected with an artificially formed biofilm made of Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus salivarius, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia bacteria. First group was treated with Aseptim Plus® photo-activated (LED) disinfection system, second group by a 650 nm Diode Laser and Toluidine blue as photosensitizer, and the third group, as control group, by ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) using EDTA 17% and NaOCl 2.6% solutions. The working time for all three groups was fixed at 3 min. Presence or absence of biofilm was assessed by aerobic and anaerobic cultures. There was no statistically significant difference between results obtained from groups treated by Aseptim Plus® and Diode Laser (Pirrigation and NaOCl and EDTA solutions had the best results (Pendodontic artificial microbial biofilm and could not inhibit bacterial growth in a clinically favorable working time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. FISHing for gutta-percha-adhered biofilms in purulent post-treatment apical periodontitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zehnder, M; Rechenberg, D-K; Thurnheer, T; Lüthi-Schaller, H; Belibasakis, G N

    2017-06-01

    This study investigated the possibility of depicting individual taxa in clinically relevant biofilms using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Gutta-percha samples were collected from the apical aspect of root canals associated with a chronic apical abscess (test samples, n = 8). Corresponding control samples were obtained from previously filled root canals with apparently normal periapical tissues (n = 3). The transport medium was investigated for detached biofilm fragments using FISH staining and conventional epifluorescence microscopy. Gutta-percha samples were stained by multiplex FISH, and inspected using confocal laser scanning microscopy. FISH of the transport medium confirmed the presence of the main species formerly identified by conventional methods in post-treatment purulent endodontic infections, most prominently Fusobacterium spp., Bacteroidetes and Prevotellaceae. Treponemes were identified in five of eight cases associated with purulent infections, but Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus spp. were not identified. The biofilms on gutta-percha from root canals associated with apical periodontitis showed dense aggregates of variable composition. Control samples contained few, if any, bacteria in the transport medium, and featured no biofilms on the respective gutta-percha specimens. The current study revealed some direct, visual in situ information on the nature of biofilms associated with purulent periapical infections in man. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Comparative analysis of the biological and physical properties of Enterococcus faecalis bacteriophage vB_EfaS_GEC-EfS_3 and Streptococcus mitis bacteriophage vB_SmM_GEC-SmitisM_2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rigvava, Sophio; Tchgkonia, Irina; Jgenti, Darejan; Dvalidze, Teona; Carpino, James; Goderdzishvili, Marina

    2013-01-01

    Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus mitis are common commensal inhabitants of the human gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. However, both species can be opportunistic pathogens and cause disease in nosocomial settings. These infections can be difficult to treat because of the frequency of antibiotic resistance among these strains. Bacteriophages are often suggested as an alternative therapeutic agent against these infections. In this study, E. faecalis and S. mitis strains were isolated from female patients with urinary tract infections. Bacteriophages active against these strains were isolated from sewage water from the Mtkvari River. Two phages, designated vB_EfaS_GEC-EfS_3 (Syphoviridae) and vB_SmM_GEC-SmitisM_2 (Myoviridae), were specific for E. faecalis and S. mitis, respectively. Each phage's growth patterns and adsorption rates were quantified. Sensitivity to ultraviolet light and temperature was determined, as was host range and serology. The S. mitis bacteriophage was found to be more resistant to ultraviolet light and exposure to high temperatures than the E. faecalis bacteriophage, despite having a much greater rate of replication. While each phage was able to infect a broad range of strains of the same species as the host species from which they were isolated, they were unable to infect other host species tested.

  6. A comparison of three rotary systems and hand instrumentation technique for the elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from the root canal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorduysus, Melahat; Nagas, Emre; Torun, Ozgur Yildirim; Gorduysus, Omer

    2011-12-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the in vitro reduction of a bacterial population in a root canal by mechanical instrumentation using three rotary systems and hand instrumentation technique. The root canals contaminated with a suspension of Enterococcus faecalis were instrumented using ProTaper, K3, HeroShaper and K-file hand instrumentation technique. Later the root canals were sampled. After serial dilutions, samples were incubated in culture media for 24 h. Bacterial colonies were counted and the results were given as number of colony-forming units per millilitre. The results showed that all the canal instrumentation systems reduced the number of bacterial cells in the root canals. Statistically, ProTaper instruments were more effective in reducing the number of bacteria than the other rotary files or hand instruments. © 2010 The Authors. Australian Endodontic Journal © 2010 Australian Society of Endodontology.

  7. Photodynamic therapy with water-soluble phtalocyanines against bacterial biofilms in teeth root canals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gergova, Raina; Georgieva, Tzvetelina; Angelov, Ivan; Mantareva, Vanya; Valkanov, Serjoga; Mitov, Ivan; Dimitrov, Slavcho

    2012-06-01

    The study presents the PDT with metal phthalocyanines on biofilms grown in root canals of ten representatives of the Gram-positive and the Gram-negative bacterial species and a fungus Candida albicans which cause aqute teeth infections in root canals.. The extracted human single-root teeth infected for 48 h with microorganisms in conditions to form biofilms of the above pathogens were PDT treated. The stage of biofilm formation and PDT effect of the samples of the teeth were determined by the scaning electron microscopy and with standard microbial tests. The PDT treating procedure included 10 min incubation with the respected phthalocyanine and irradiated with 660 nm Diode laser for 10 min. The most strongly antibacterial activity was achieved with zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Moraxella catarrhalis. The other Gram-negative bacteria and Candida albicans were 10-100 times more resistant than the Gram-positive species. The Gram-negative Moraxella catarrhalis and Acinetobacter baumannii were more sensitive than the enterobacteria, but eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in biofilm was insignificant. The influence of the stage of biofilm formation and the initial conditions (bacterial density, photosensitizer concentration and energy fluence of radiation) to the obtained level of inactivation of biofilms was investigated. The PDT with ZnPc photosensitizers show a powerful antimicrobial activity against the most frequent pathogens in endodontic infections and this method for inactivation of pathogens may be used with sucsses for treatment of the bacterial biofilms in the root canals.

  8. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus spp. isolated from retail cheese, ready-to-eat salads, ham, and raw meat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesavento, G; Calonico, C; Ducci, B; Magnanini, A; Lo Nostro, A

    2014-08-01

    Food specimens were analyzed in order to research Enterococcus spp.: 636 samples of raw meat (227 beef, 238 poultry, and 171 pork), 278 samples of cheese (110 fresh soft cheese and 168 mozzarella cheese), 214 samples of ready-to-eat salads, and 187 samples of ham. 312 strains of Enterococcus spp samples were isolated, then identified and submitted to susceptibility tests against 11 antimicrobial agents. The predominant species were Enterococcus faecalis in raw meat and Enterococcus faecium in retail products. Low percentages of microorganisms were resistant to vancomycin (3.53%), teicoplanin (2.24%), linezolid (0.32%), and amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid (0.32%). A high percentage of resistance was noted in E. faecalis at high level gentamicin (21.9%) and tetracycline (60.6%). In general, strains of E. faecalis were more resistant than E. faecium. Enterococci should be considered not only potential pathogens, but also a reservoir of genes encoding antibiotic resistance which can be transferred to other microorganisms. Continuous monitoring of their incidence and emerging resistance is important in order to identify foods which potentially represent a real risk to the population, and to ensure effective treatment of human enterococcal infections. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Enterococcus Species: A Hospital-Based Study in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Jia

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus species isolated from a university hospital, and explore the mechanisms underlying the antimicrobial resistance, so as to provide clinical evidence for the inappropriate clinical use of antimicrobial agents and the control and prevention of enterococcal infections. Methods: a total of 1,157 enterococcal strains isolated from various clinical specimens from January 2010 to December 2012 in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were identified to species level with a VITEK-2 COMPACT fully automated microbiological system, and the antimicrobial susceptibility of Enterococcus species was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The multiple-drug resistant enterococcal isolates were screened from the clinical isolates of Enterococcus species from the burns department. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC of Enterococcus species to the three fluoroquinolones, including ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin and levofloxacin was determined with the agar dilution method, and the changes in the MIC of Enterococcus species to the three fluoroquinolones following reserpine treatment were evaluated. The β-lactam, aminoglycoside, tetracycline, macrolide, glycopeptide resistance genes and the efflux pump emeA genes were detected in the enterococcal isolates using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR assay. Results: the 1,157 clinical isolates of Enterococcus species included 679 E. faecium isolates (58.7%, 382 E. faecalis isolates (33%, 26 E. casseliflavus isolates (2.2%, 24 E. avium isolates (2.1%, and 46 isolates of other Enterococcus species (4%. The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance varied significantly between E. faecium and E. faecalis, and ≤1.1% of these two Enterococcus species were found to be resistant to vancomycin, teicoplanin or linezolid. In addition, the Enterococcus species isolated from different departments of the hospital

  10. Treatment of Oral Biofilms by a D-Enantiomeric Peptide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tian; Wang, Zhejun; Hancock, Robert E W; de la Fuente-Núñez, César; Haapasalo, Markus

    2016-01-01

    Almost all dental diseases are caused by biofilms that consist of multispecies communities. DJK-5, which is a short D-enantiomeric, protease-resistant peptide with broad-spectrum anti-biofilm activity, was tested for its effect on oral multispecies biofilms. Peptide DJK-5 at 10 μg/mL effectively prevented the growth of these microbes in culture media in a time-dependent manner. In addition to the prevention of growth, peptide DJK-5 completely killed both Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis suspended from biofilms after 30 minutes of incubation in liquid culture media. DJK-5 also led to the effective killing of microbes in plaque biofilm. The proportion of bacterial cells killed by 10 μg/mL of DJK-5 was similar after 1 and 3 days, both exceeding 85%. DJK-5 was able to significantly prevent biofilm formation over 3 days (P = 0.000). After 72 hours of exposure, DJK-5 significantly reduced and almost completely prevented plaque biofilm production by more than 90% of biovolume compared to untreated controls (P = 0.000). The proportion of dead biofilm bacteria at the 10 μg/mL DJK-5 concentration was similar for 1- and 3-day-old biofilms, whereby >86% of the bacteria were killed. DJK-5 was also able to kill >79% and >85% of bacteria, respectively, after one-time and three brief treatments of 3-day-old biofilms. The combination of DJK-5 and chlorhexidine showed the best bacterial killing among all treatments, with ~83% and >88% of bacterial cells killed after 1 and 3 minutes, respectively. No significant difference was found in the percentage of biofilm killing amongst three donor plaque samples after DJK-5 treatment. In particular, DJK-5 showed strong performance in inhibiting biofilm development and eradicating pre-formed oral biofilms compared to L-enantiomeric peptide 1018. DJK-5 was very effective against oral biofilms when used alone or combined with chlorhexidine, and may be a promising agent for use in oral anti-biofilm strategies in the future.

  11. Comparison of antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and resistance genes in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium from humans in the community, broilers and pigs in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Agersø, Yvonne; Gerner-Smidt, P.

    2000-01-01

    . faecium isolates of human and animal origin, examined. tet(K) was not observed, whereas tet(L) was detected in 17% of tetracycline resistant E. faecalis isolates and in 16% of the E. faecium isolates. tet(O) was not detected in any of the isolates from pigs, but was observed in 38% of E. faecalis isolates...... from broilers, in two E. faecalis isolates from humans and in three E. faecium isolates from broilers. tet(S) was not detected among isolates from animals, but was observed in 31% of E. faecalis and one E. faecium isolate from humans. This study showed a frequent occurrence of antimicrobial resistance...

  12. Effects of single- and multi-strain probiotics on biofilm formation and in vitro adhesion to bladder cells by urinary tract pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman, C M C; Gibson, G R; Rowland, I

    2014-06-01

    There is increasing evidence that probiotic bacteria can inhibit and/or prevent urinary tract infections. Possible mechanisms include prevention of adhesion of pathogens to the bladder epithelium and inhibition of biofilm formation. Currently there is interest in the comparative efficacy of single probiotics vs. strain mixtures. We have therefore tested the inhibitory activity of four single probiotics and four probiotic mixtures towards the urinary tract pathogens Escherichia coli NCTC 9001 and Enterococcus faecalis NCTC 00775. Inhibition of biofilm formation by cell-free supernatants was tested using the Crystal Violet assay, while prevention of pathogen adhesion to host cells was tested by using bladder cancer cells as a model for the human urinary tract. Under pH-controlled conditions, there was no significant inhibition of biofilm formation by any treatment. Without pH control, 5/8 treatments significantly inhibited biofilm production by E. coli, while 5/8 treatments inhibited production by E. faecalis. Using data from all Crystal Violet assays, there was no significant difference in the ability of single- and multi-strain probiotics to inhibit biofilm formation. In the cell culture assays, all treatments were able to significantly reduce numbers of pathogenic cells adhering to host cells by 2.5-3.5 logs. No significant difference was observed between the displacement caused by single strains and mixtures for either pathogen. Inhibition of biofilm seems to be a major mechanism of urinary tract pathogen exclusion, related to, and possibly dependent upon, the probiotic ability to reduce environmental pH. Exclusion via competition of binding sites is a possible in vivo mechanism for these probiotics. If an additive or synergistic effect exists between strains within a mixture, it does not manifest itself in a greater effect through these two inhibitory mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Enterococcus faecium biofilm formation: identification of major autolysin AtlAEfm, associated Acm surface localization, and AtlAEfm-independent extracellular DNA Release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paganelli, Fernanda L; Willems, Rob J L; Jansen, Pamela; Hendrickx, Antoni; Zhang, Xinglin; Bonten, Marc J M; Leavis, Helen L

    2013-04-16

    Enterococcus faecium is an important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen causing biofilm-mediated infections in patients with medical devices. Insight into E. faecium biofilm pathogenesis is pivotal for the development of new strategies to prevent and treat these infections. In several bacteria, a major autolysin is essential for extracellular DNA (eDNA) release in the biofilm matrix, contributing to biofilm attachment and stability. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized the major autolysin of E. faecium E1162 by a bioinformatic genome screen followed by insertional gene disruption of six putative autolysin genes. Insertional inactivation of locus tag EfmE1162_2692 resulted in resistance to lysis, reduced eDNA release, deficient cell attachment, decreased biofilm, decreased cell wall hydrolysis, and significant chaining compared to that of the wild type. Therefore, locus tag EfmE1162_2692 was considered the major autolysin in E. faecium and renamed atlAEfm. In addition, AtlAEfm was implicated in cell surface exposure of Acm, a virulence factor in E. faecium, and thereby facilitates binding to collagen types I and IV. This is a novel feature of enterococcal autolysins not described previously. Furthermore, we identified (and localized) autolysin-independent DNA release in E. faecium that contributes to cell-cell interactions in the atlAEfm mutant and is important for cell separation. In conclusion, AtlAEfm is the major autolysin in E. faecium and contributes to biofilm stability and Acm localization, making AtlAEfm a promising target for treatment of E. faecium biofilm-mediated infections. IMPORTANCE Nosocomial infections caused by Enterococcus faecium have rapidly increased, and treatment options have become more limited. This is due not only to increasing resistance to antibiotics but also to biofilm-associated infections. DNA is released in biofilm matrix via cell lysis, caused by autolysin, and acts as a matrix stabilizer. In this study

  14. Histopathological changes induced in an animal model by potentially pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis strains recovered from ready-to-eat food outlets in Osun State, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olawale, Adetunji Kola; David, Oluwole Moses; Oluyege, Adekemi Olubukunola; Osuntoyinbo, Richard Temitope; Laleye, Solomon Anjuwon; Famurewa, Oladiran

    2015-01-01

    Enterococci have been implicated as an emerging important cause of several diseases and multiple antibiotic resistance. However, there is little information about the prevalence of pathogenic and/or antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in ready-to-eat foods in Nigeria. Here we report the pathogenic potential of three selected antibiotic-resistant E. faecalis strains isolated from food canteens and food outlets with different virulence determinant genes, including EFC 12 (with gel (+), esp (+), cylA (+), and asa1 (+)), EFT 148 (with gel (+), ace (+), and asa1 (+)), and EFS 18 (with esp (+) and cylA (+)) in an animal model. Enterococcemia, hematological parameters, and histopathological changes in organ tissues were examined in experimental animals. The results showed differences in enterococcemia and hematological parameters between the control group and experimental animal group. Enterococcemia was observed for 7 days, and the animal group infected with EFC 12 showed the highest growth rate, followed by EFT 148, with the lowest growth rate seen in the EFS 18-infected group. White blood cell count, packed cell volume, and platelets were significantly reduced (Pfood canteens and food outlets; hence, there is a need for strict adherence to good hygiene practices in the study area owing to the epidemiological significance of foods.

  15. [Study on the antibacterial activity of four kinds of nano-hydroxyapatite composites against Enterococcus faecalis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yi; Zhou, Rongjing; Wu, Hongkun

    2015-06-01

    This study aims to compare and determine a kind of nano-hydroxyapatite composite material with good antibacterial efficacy on Enterococcusfaecalis (E. faecalis) in vitro. We investigated the antimicrobial activity of four kinds of nano-hydroxyapatite composites, namely, silver/hydroxyapatite composite nanoparticles (Ag/nHA), yttrium/hydroxyapatite composite nanoparticles (Yi/nHA), cerium/hydroxyapatite composite nanoparticles (Ce/nHA), and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHA), against E. faecalis in vitro using the agar diffusion and broth dilution method by measuring the growth inhibition zone and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), respectively. The agar diffusion test results showed that Ag/nHA displayed an obvious growth inhibition zone, whereas Yi/nHA, Ce/nHA, and nHA showed no influence on E. faecalis. The MIC value of Ag/nHA was 1.0 g.L-1, and the three other materials had no effect on E.faecalis even at the high concentration of 32.0 g.L-1. Ag/nHA display a potential antimicrobial efficacy to planktonic E.faecalis. Whereas, the three other kinds of nano-hydroxyapatite composites (Yi/nHA, Ce/nHA, nHA) show no influence.

  16. [Study of marine actinomycetes isolated from the central coast of Peru and their antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    León, Jorge; Aponte, Juan José; Rojas, Rosario; Cuadra, D'Lourdes; Ayala, Nathaly; Tomás, Gloria; Guerrero, Marco

    2011-06-01

    To determine the antimicrobial potential of marine actinomycetes against drug-resistant pathogens represented by strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE). Strains of actinomycetes (29) isolated from marine sediment were evaluated by their characteristics in two culture media and by testing their inhibitory capacity by in vitro antagonism against multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria for MRSA and VRE. Organic extracts of 3 selected actinomicetes were processed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the active compound. Most isolated actinomycetes belong to a homogeneous group of write-gray actinomycetes with a good growth in Marine Agar. The inhibitory rates of the isolates were above 85% for both pathogens with inhibition zones greater than 69 and 78 mm in diameter for MRSA and VRE respectively. Dichloromethane extracts of 3 isolates (I-400A, B1-T61, M10-77) showed strong inhibitory activity of both pathogens, M10-77 being the highest actinomycete strain with antibiotic activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus ATCC 43300 and vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis ATCC 51299 with a minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 7.9 and 31.7 μg/ml respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of M10-77 strain showed 99% similarity with the marine species Streptomyces erythrogriseus. Marine sediments of the central coast of Peru, are a source of actinomycetes strains showing high capacity to produce bioactive compounds able to inhibit pathogens classified as multi-drug-resistant such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis.

  17. Characterization and susceptibility patterns of clinically important Enterococcus species in eastern Nepal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acharya, A; Khanal, A; Kanungo, R; Mohapatra, T

    2007-12-01

    Life threatening infections caused by enterococcus species with multidrug resistance has emerged as a threat to medical care in the present era. This study was conducted to characterize enterococcus species isolated from different clinical samples and to detect the pattern of susceptibility to some of the commonly used antibiotics in B.P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), a tertiary care hospital in eastern Nepal. Clinical samples submitted to the microbiology unit of Central Laboratory Service (CLS) for culture and sensitivity during March 2002 - February 2003 was analyzed. Enterococcus species were identified by colony characteristics, gram staining and relevant biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility test was done by the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion technique. Of 50 Enterococcus species isolated, E. faecalis was the predominant isolate (48.0%) followed by E. faecium (32.0%) and E. avium (20.0%). Eighty-eight percent of E. faecalis showed sensitivity to cephotaxime and 87.0% to vancomycin. Multiple drug resistance was observed most commonly in E. faecium. Seventeen percent of E. faecium were resistant to vancomycin and 63.0% to ciprofloxacin and 44.0% to ampicillin. On the contrary E. avium rarely showed resistance to the antimicrobials tested including vancomycin. Enterococcal infections are common nowadays specially in hospitalized patients. Inappropriate use of antibiotics in clinical practice and poultry should be discouraged to prevent the emergence of multidrug resistant species.

  18. Characterization of veterinary hospital-associated isolates of Enterococcus species in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Yeon Soo; Kwon, Ka Hee; Shin, Sook; Kim, Jae Hong; Park, Yong Ho; Yoon, Jang Won

    2014-03-28

    Possible cross-transmission of hospital-associated enterococci between human patients, medical staff, and hospital environments has been extensively studied. However, limited information is available for veterinary hospital-associated Enterococcus isolates. This study investigated the possibility of cross-transmission of antibiotic-resistant enterococci between dog patients, their owners, veterinary staff, and hospital environments. Swab samples (n =46 5) were obtained from five veterinary hospitals in Seoul, Korea, during 2011. Forty-three Enterococcus strains were isolated, representing seven enterococcal species. E. faecalis and E. faecium were the most dominant species (16 isolates each, 37.2%). Although slight differences in the antibiotic resistance profiles were observed between the phenotypic and the genotypic data, our antibiogram analysis demonstrated high prevalence of the multiple drug-resistant (MDR) isolates of E. faecalis (10/16 isolates, 62.5%) and E. faecium (12/16 isolates, 75.0%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoretic comparison of the MDR isolates revealed three different clonal sets of E. faecalis and a single set of E. faecium, which were isolated from different sample groups or dog patients at the same or two separate veterinary hospitals. These results imply a strong possibility of cross-transmission of the antibiotic-resistant enterococcal species between animal patients, owners, veterinary staff, and hospital environments.

  19. Enterococcus faecalis Sex Pheromone cCF10 Enhances Conjugative Plasmid Transfer In Vivo

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    Helmut Hirt

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Cell-cell communication mediated by peptide pheromones (cCF10 [CF] is essential for high-frequency plasmid transfer in vitro in Enterococcus faecalis. To examine the role of pheromone signaling in vivo, we established either a CF-producing (CF+ recipient or a recipient producing a biologically inactive variant of CF (CF− recipient in a germfree mouse model 3 days before donor inoculation and determined transfer frequencies of the pheromone-inducible plasmid pCF10. Plasmid transfer was detected in the upper and middle sections of the intestinal tract 5 h after donor inoculation and was highly efficient in the absence of antibiotic selection. The transconjugant/donor ratio reached a maximum level approaching 1 on day 4 in the upper intestinal tract. Plasmid transfer was significantly lower with the CF− recipient. While rescue of the CF− mating defect by coculture with CF+ recipients is easily accomplished in vitro, no extracellular complementation occurred in vivo. This suggests that most pheromone signaling in the gut occurs between recipient and donor cells in very close proximity. Plasmid-bearing cells (donors plus transconjugants steadily increased in the population from 0.1% after donor inoculation to about 10% at the conclusion of the experiments. This suggests a selective advantage of pCF10 carriage distinct from antibiotic resistance or bacteriocin production. Our results demonstrate that pheromone signaling is required for efficient pCF10 transfer in vivo. In the absence of CF+ recipients, a low level of transfer to CF− recipients occurred in the gut. This may result from low-level host-mediated induction of the donors in the gastrointestinal (GI tract, similar to that previously observed in serum.

  20. Evaluation of the antimicrobial effect of super-oxidized water (Sterilox® and sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis in a bovine root canal model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giampiero Rossi-Fedele

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Ideally root canal irrigants should have, amongst other properties, antimicrobial action associated with a lack of toxicity against periapical tissues. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl is a widely used root canal irrigant, however it has been shown to have a cytotoxic effect on vital tissue and therefore it is prudent to investigate alternative irrigants. Sterilox's Aquatine Alpha Electrolyte® belongs to the group of the super-oxidized waters; it consists of a mixture of oxidizing substances, and has been suggested to be used as root canal irrigant. Super-oxidized waters have been shown to provide efficient cleaning of root canal walls, and have been proposed to be used for the disinfection of medical equipment. OBJECTIVE: To compare the antimicrobial action against Enterococcus faecalis of NaOCl, Optident Sterilox Electrolyte Solution® and Sterilox's Aquatine Alpha Electrolyte® when used as irrigating solutions in a bovine root canal model. METHODOLOGY: Root sections were prepared and inoculated with E. faecalis JH2-2. After 10 days of incubation the root canals were irrigated using one of three solutions (NaOCl, Optident Sterilox Electrolyte Solution®and Sterilox's Aquatine Alpha Electrolyte® and subsequently sampled by grinding dentin using drills. The debris was placed in BHI broth and dilutions were plated onto fresh agar plates to quantify growth. RESULTS: Sodium hypochlorite was the only irrigant to eliminate all bacteria. When the dilutions were made, although NaOCl was still statistically superior, Sterilox's Aquatine Alpha Electrolyte® solution was superior to Optident Sterilox Electrolyte Solution®. CONCLUSIONS: Under the conditions of this study Sterilox's Aquatine Alpha Electrolyte® appeared to have significantly more antimicrobial action compared to the Optident Sterilox Electrolyte Solution® alone, however NaOCl was the only solution able to consistently eradicate E. faecalis in the model.

  1. Identification, antimicrobial resistance and genotypic characterization of Enterococcus spp. isolated in Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bender, Eduardo André; de Freitas, Ana Lúcia Peixoto; Reiter, Keli Cristine; Lutz, Larissa; Barth, Afonso Luís

    2009-01-01

    In the past two decades the members of the genus Enterococcus have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. In the present study, we evaluated the antimicrobial resistance and genotypic characteristics of 203 Enterococcus spp. recovered from different clinical sources from two hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The species were identified by conventional biochemical tests and by an automated system. The genetic diversity of E. faecalis presenting high-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) was assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of chromosomal DNA after SmaI digestion. The E. faecalis was the most frequent specie (93.6%), followed by E. faecium (4.4%). The antimicrobial resistance profile was: 2.5% to ampicillin, 0.5% to vancomycin, 0.5% teicoplanin, 33% to chloramphenicol, 2% to nitrofurantoin, 66.1% to erythromycin, 66.5% to tetracycline, 24.6% to rifampicin, 30% to ciprofloxacin and 87.2% to quinupristin-dalfopristin. A total of 10.3% of the isolates proved to be HLAR to both gentamicin and streptomycin (HLR-ST/GE), with 23.6% resistant only to gentamicin (HLR-GE) and 37.4% only to streptomycin (HLR-ST). One predominant clonal group was found among E. faecalis HLR-GE/ST. The prevalence of resistance among beta-lactam antibiotics and glycopeptides was very low. However, in this study there was an increased number of HLR Enterococcus which may be spreading intra and inter-hospital. PMID:24031416

  2. Susceptibility to disinfectants in antimicrobial-resistant and -susceptible isolates of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium from poultry-ESBL/AmpC-phenotype of E. coli is not associated with resistance to a quaternary ammonium compound, DDAC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieland, N; Boss, J; Lettmann, S; Fritz, B; Schwaiger, K; Bauer, J; Hölzel, C S

    2017-06-01

    The spread of bacteria that are simultaneously resistant to disinfectants and antimicrobials would constitute an unsettling scenario. In order to explore an association between antimicrobial resistance and reduced susceptibility to biocides/microbicides (disinfectants) in agriculture, we investigated Escherichia coli (n = 438) and enterococci (n = 120) isolated from six different flocks of the same poultry farm with known history of antimicrobial treatment. Susceptibility to disinfectants (formic acid and a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), didecyldimethylammoniumchloride-DDAC) was assessed by macrodilution according to guidelines of the German Veterinary Society. Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were screened (i) for reduced biocide susceptibility and (ii) for an association of biocide susceptibility and antimicrobial resistance including the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and the hyperproduction of AmpC-type beta-lactamases. DDAC inhibited ESBL/AmpC(hyper)-producing E. coli (n = 53) from poultry at similar or slightly lower inhibitory concentrations, compared with non-ESBL/AmpC strains (median MIC = 0·36 vs 1·44 mg l -1 ). In contrast, DDAC-MICs were positively correlated with several other antibiotic MICs (e.g. piperacillin and sulphamethoxazole + trimethoprim in E. coli, chloramphenicol in E. faecalis) and increased DDAC-MICs were statistically linked to high-level aminoglycoside resistance in enterococci (streptomycin high level). DDAC-MICs did not correlate with the presence of the integron marker qacEDelta1. This study provides indication that residual disinfectant might be able to select antimicrobial-resistant enterococci, but not ESBL-/AmpC (hyper)producing E. coli from poultry. While ESBL-/AmpC-E. coli were inhibited at disinfectant concentrations comparable to or lower than wildtype values, low concentrations of QACs might be able to select other antimicrobial-resistant E

  3. Enterococcus faecalis Infection Causes Inflammation, Intracellular Oxphos-Independent ROS Production, and DNA Damage in Human Gastric Cancer Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strickertsson, Jesper A. B; Desler, Claus; Martin-Bertelsen, Tomas

    2013-01-01

    therefore wanted to study the impact of E. faecalis infection on inflammatory response, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial genetic stability in gastric mucosal cells. Methods To separate the changes induced by bacteria from those of the inflammatory cells...... intracellular ROS production through a pathway independent of oxidative phosphorylation (oxphos). Furthermore, E. faecalis infection induced mitochondrial DNA instability. Following infection, genes coding for inflammatory response proteins were transcriptionally up-regulated while DNA damage repair and cell...... cycle control genes were down-regulated. Cell growth slowed down when infected with viable E. faecalis and responded in a dose dependent manner to E. faecalis lysate. Conclusions Infection by E. faecalis induced an oxphos-independent intracellular ROS response and damaged the mitochondrial genome...

  4. Antimicrobial activity of a sodium hypochlorite/etidronic acid irrigant solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arias-Moliz, Maria Teresa; Ordinola-Zapata, Ronald; Baca, Pilar; Ruiz-Linares, Matilde; Ferrer-Luque, Carmen María

    2014-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of a 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)/9% etidronic acid (HEBP) irrigant solution on Enterococcus faecalis growing in biofilms and a dentinal tubule infection model. The antimicrobial activity of the solutions 2.5% NaOCl and 9% HEBP alone and associated was evaluated on E. faecalis biofilms grown in the Calgary biofilm model (minimum biofilm eradication concentration high-throughput device). For the dentinal tubule infection test, the percentage of dead cells in E. faecalis-infected dentinal tubules treated with the solutions for 10 minutes was measured using confocal laser scanning microscopy and the live/dead technique. Available chlorine and pH of the solutions were also measured. Distilled water was used as the control. Nonparametric tests were used to determine statistical differences. The highest viability was found in the distilled water group and the lowest in the NaOCl-treated dentin (P antimicrobial activity inside dentinal tubules, without statistical differences between the 2 (P chlorine within 60 minutes. HEBP did not interfere with the ability of NaOCl to kill E. faecalis grown in biofilms and inside dentinal tubules. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Evaluation of antibacterial efficacy of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles derived from fungi against endo-perio pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacillus pumilus, and Enterococcus faecalis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halkai, Kiran Rahul; Mudda, Jayashree A.; Shivanna, Vasundhara; Rathod, Vandana; Halkai, Rahul S.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Even after rapid progress in contemporary dental practice, we encounter the failures due to endodontic, periodontal, or combined lesions. Complex anatomy of tooth and resistant microbes demands the development of new treatment strategies. Aim: The aim of this study is to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using fungi and determine the antibacterial efficacy against Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacillus pumilus, and Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: Fungi isolated from healthy leaves of Withania somnifera were used to biosynthesize AgNPs. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by different methods, and antibacterial efficacy was evaluated by agar well diffusion method measuring the zone of inhibition. Test microorganisms were divided as Group 1: B. pumilus 27142 (American Type Culture Collection [ATCC]), Group 2: E. faecalis 29212 (ATCC), and Group 3: P. gingivalis 33277 (ATCC). Agents used for antibacterial efficacy were grouped as: AgNPs: A (20 μl), B (40 μl), C (60 μl), D (80 μl), E (100 μl), F (0.2% chlorhexidine [CHX]), G (2% CHX), H (Ampicillin), and I (sterile distilled water). Results: Characterization studies showed the color change from colorless to reddish brown color; ultraviolet spectrum showed peak at 420 nm, transmission electron microscope revealed the particles spherical in shape and 10–20 nm size. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of functional groups. Data collected for antibacterial efficacy were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's multiple shows no significant difference among three groups (P lesions. PMID:29430090

  6. Antimicrobial residual effects of irrigation regimens with maleic acid in infected root canals

    OpenAIRE

    Ferrer-Luque, Carmen Mar?a; Gonz?lez-Castillo, Silvia; Ruiz-Linares, Matilde; Arias-Moliz, Mar?a Teresa; Rodr?guez-Archilla, Alberto; Baca, Pilar

    2015-01-01

    Background The success of endodontic treatment depends largely on the control of microorganisms present in infected root canals. The aim of this study was to determine the residual antimicrobial activity of several final irrigation protocols with 7% maleic acid (MA) alone and combined with chlorhexidine (CHX), cetrimide (CTR) or both, in root canals infected with Enterococcus faecalis. Biofilms of E. faecalis were grown in uniradicular roots for 4 weeks. A total of 72 specimens were divided i...

  7. Reduced susceptibility of Enterococcus spp. isolates from Cairo University Hospital to tigecycline: Highlight on the influence of proton pump inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Reem Mostafa; Ghaith, Doaa Mohammad; Ismail, Dalia Kadry; Zafer, Mai Mahmoud

    2018-03-01

    The incidence of reduced susceptibility to tigecycline (TIG) is increasing. This study aimed to analyse the in vitro activity of TIG against Enterococcus spp. isolates recovered from hospitalised patients and to evaluate the effect of omeprazole on the in vitro antimicrobial activity of TIG against several enterococcal species. A total of 67 Enterococcus clinical isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF/MS and multiplex PCR. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of TIG alone and in combination with omeprazole (10, 30 and 60mg/L) were determined by broth microdilution. Antibiotic susceptibility to other antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion. The presence of van, tet(X) and tet(X1) genes was tested by multiplex PCR. Of the 67 Enterococcus isolates, 2 (3.0%) were resistant to TIG and 13 (19.4%) were intermediate-resistant according to EUCAST. The frequencies of resistance to norfloxacin (80.6%), doxycycline (80.6%), levofloxacin (74.6%) and ciprofloxacin (71.6%) were highest, whilst that of vancomycin (25.4%) was lowest. The vanA gene was detected in 11 Enterococcus isolates (8 Enterococcus faecalis, 3 Enterococcus faecium), vanB in 3 Enterococcus isolates (2 E. faecium, 1 E. faecalis) and vanC-2/3 in 3 Enterococcus casseliflavus. Nine isolates (13.4%) were positive for tet(X1). TIG resistance occurred both in patients receiving or not TIG and/or omeprazole. Omeprazole increased TIG MICs by 4-128-fold. The possibility of selection of TIG-non-susceptible Enterococcus in the gut may occur with long-term use of omeprazole. Omeprazole influenced TIG activity in a concentration-dependent manner. To our knowledge; this is the first report of TIG-non-susceptible Enterococcus spp. in Egypt. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The origin of endodontic Enterococcus faecalis explored by comparison of virulence factor patterns and antibiotic resistance to that of isolates from stool samples, blood cultures and food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidana, R; Rashid, M U; Özenci, V; Weintraub, A; Lund, B

    2016-04-01

    To elucidate the origin of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from secondary root canal infections and the possibility for a foodborne transmission by comparing them to strains recovered from food, blood and stool regarding putative virulence factors and antibiotic susceptibility profiles, where strains from common origin were hypothesized to harbour similar characteristics. A total of 108 E. faecalis strains recovered in the county of Stockholm, Sweden, were screened using PCR for putative virulence factors esp, cylA, gelE/gelatinase-negative phenotype (ef1841/fsrC), efaA, ace and asa1. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ampicillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, gentamicin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin and linezolid was determined using the agar dilution method. Next to strains from blood, the food isolates presented the highest average number of virulence determinants and were frequently enriched with asa1 coding for aggregation substance. None of the endodontic strains carried cylA, and the gelatinase-negative phenotype caused by a deletion dominated the group. Altogether, the most prevalent genes were gelE, efaA and ace, and a combination of them was equally present in approximately 80% of the strains from food, stool and root canals in comparison with 43.3% of the blood isolates. High-level resistance to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin was observed in 30% of the blood isolates, whereas the isolates from other origins, with single exceptions, were susceptible to all tested antibiotics. Evidence for a foodborne transmission, explaining the high reported prevalence of E. faecalis in root filled teeth, could not be determined based on the similarities in virulence factor patterns and antibiotic susceptibility. The only linkage between isolates from food and root canals consisted of a shared common combination of the genes gelE, efaA and ace. The high occurrence of putative virulence traits in food isolates questions the safety of E. faecalis in food

  9. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus strains isolated from poultry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stępień-Pyśniak, Dagmara; Marek, Agnieszka; Banach, Tomasz; Adaszek, Łukasz; Pyzik, Ewelina; Wilczyński, Jarosław; Winiarczyk, Stanisław

    2016-06-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of occurrence of bacteria of the genus Enterococcus in poultry, to identify them by means of matrixassisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDITOF MS), and to analyse the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated strains to the drugs most frequently used in poultry. The material for the bacteriological tests was obtained mainly from the heart (97%) of the birds investigated. Of a total of 2,970 samples tested, 911 (30.7%) tested positive for Enterococcus spp. Enterococci were detected in broilers (88.1%), laying hens (5.3%), turkeys (3.9%), breeding hens (2.2%), and geese (0.4%). The most commonly identified species were Enterococcus (E.) faecalis (74.7%), E. faecium (10.1%), E. gallinarum (5.5%), E. hirae (4.6%), and E. cecorum (4.1%). The most frequent resistance properties were resistance to sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (88%), tylosin (71.4%), enrofloxacin (69.4%), doxycycline (67.3%), and lincomycin/spectinomycin (56.1%). Only one vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, E. cecorum from a broiler, was found.

  10. A novel role for D-alanylation of lipoteichoic acid of enterococcus faecalis in urinary tract infection.

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    Dominique Wobser

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Enterococci are the third most common cause of healthcare-associated infections, which include urinary tract infections, bacteremia and endocarditis. Cell-surface structures such as lipoteichoic acid (LTA have been poorly examined in E. faecalis, especially with respect to urinary tract infections (UTIs. The dlt operon is responsible for the D-alanylation of LTA and includes the gene dltA, which encodes the D-alanyl carrier protein ligase (Dcl. The involvement of LTA in UTI infection by E. faecalis has not been studied so far. Here, we examined the role of teichoic acid alanylation in the adhesion of enterococci to uroepithelial cells. RESULTS: In a mouse model of urinary tract infection, we showed that E. faecalis 12030ΔdltA mutant colonizes uroepithelial surfaces more efficiently than wild type bacteria. We also demonstrated that this mutant adhered four fold better to human bladder carcinoma cell line T24 compared to the wild type strain. Bacterial adherence could be significantly inhibited by purified lipoteichoic acid (LTA and inhibition was specific. CONCLUSION: In contrast to bacteraemia model and adherence to colon surfaces, E. faecalis 12030ΔdltA mutant colonized uroepithelial surfaces more efficiently than wild-type bacteria. In the case of the uroepithelial surface the adherence to specific host cells could be prevented by purified LTA. Our results therefore suggest a novel function of alanylation of LTA in E. faecalis.

  11. Probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 biofilms on silicone substrates for bacterial interference against pathogen colonization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Quan; Zhu, Zhiling; Wang, Jun; Lopez, Analette I; Li, Siheng; Kumar, Amit; Yu, Fei; Chen, Haoqing; Cai, Chengzhi; Zhang, Lijuan

    2017-03-01

    Bacterial interference is an alternative strategy to fight against device-associated bacterial infections. Pursuing this strategy, a non-pathogenic bacterial biofilm is used as a live, protective barrier to fence off pathogen colonization. In this work, biofilms formed by probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) are investigated for their potential for long-term bacterial interference against infections associated with silicone-based urinary catheters and indwelling catheters used in the digestive system, such as feeding tubes and voice prostheses. We have shown that EcN can form stable biofilms on silicone substrates, particularly those modified with a biphenyl mannoside derivative. These biofilms greatly reduced the colonization by pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis in Lysogeny broth (LB) for 11days. Bacterial interference is an alternative strategy to fight against device-associated bacterial infections. Pursuing this strategy, we use non-pathogenic bacteria to form a biofilm that serves as a live, protective barrier against pathogen colonization. Herein, we report the first use of preformed probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 biofilms on the mannoside-presenting silicone substrates to prevent pathogen colonization. The biofilms serve as a live, protective barrier to fence off the pathogens, whereas current antimicrobial/antifouling coatings are subjected to gradual coverage by the biomass from the rapidly growing pathogens in a high-nutrient environment. It should be noted that E. coli Nissle 1917 is commercially available and has been used in many clinical trials. We also demonstrated that this probiotic strain performed significantly better than the non-commercial, genetically modified E. coli strain that we previously reported. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Two potential uses for silver nanoparticles coated with Solanum nigrum unripe fruit extract: Biofilm inhibition and photodegradation of dye effluent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malaikozhundan, Balasubramanian; Vijayakumar, Sekar; Vaseeharan, Baskaralingam; Jenifer, Anthonisamy Anthoni; Chitra, Ponnaiah; Prabhu, Narayanan Marimuthu; Kannapiran, Ethiraj

    2017-10-01

    Silver nanoparticle was green synthesized involving the unripe fruit extracts of Solanum nigrum (Sn-AgNPs). The synthesized Sn-AgNPs was bio-physically characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-Vis recorded the absorbance spectra at 443 nm. XRD analysis clearly demonstrated the crystalline nature of Sn-AgNPs with Bragg's reflection peaks at 111, 200, 220 and 311 lattice planes. The FTIR spectrum of Sn-AgNPs showed strong bands at 3432, 1555, 1455, 862 and 406 cm -1 which corresponds at O-H, C-H, C-C, C-OH and C-N groups respectively. TEM exhibited the spherical shape of Sn-AgNPs with particle size between 20 and 30 nm. The antibacterial effects of Sn-AgNPs were tested on clinically important biofilm forming Gram positive (Bacillus pumulis and Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram negative (Proteus vulgaris and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) bacteria. The greater inhibition of B. pumulis and E. faecalis was observed at 100 μg mL -1 of Sn-AgNPs compared to P. vulgaris and V. parahaemolyticus. The biofilm inhibition potential of Sn-AgNPs was greater against Gram positive bacteria than that of Gram negative bacteria. Furthermore, Sn-AgNPs effectively degraded the industrial effluent methyl orange dye by photocatalysis. It is concluded that Sn-AgNPs could be used as an effective therapeutics against the biofilm of clinically important bacteria. The green synthesized Sn-AgNPs can be employed to degrade dye effluents and prevent environmental pollution as well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Action of Chlorhexidine, Zingiber officinale, and Calcium Hydroxide on Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Endotoxin in the Root Canals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valera, Marcia C; Oliveira, Sarah Ac; Maekawa, Lilian E; Cardoso, Flávia Gr; Chung, Adriana; Silva, Stephanie Fp; Carvalho, Cláudio At

    2016-02-01

    The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of 2% chlorhexidine gel (CHX) as auxiliary chemical substance and intracanal medications on Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and their endotoxins in the root canals. The study was conducted on 48 single-rooted human teeth divided into four groups (n = 12), according to intracanal medications used: (1) Calcium hydroxide + apyrogenic saline solution (Ca(OH)2 + SS), (2) 20% ginger glycolic extract (GEN), (3) calcium hydroxide + 20% ginger glycolic extract (Ca(OH)2 + GEN), (4) apyrogenic SS (control). Collections were made from the root canal content before preparation (baseline-S1), immediately after instrumentation (S2), 7 days after instrumentation (S3), after 14 days the action of intracanal medication (S4), and 7 days after removal of the intracanal medication (S5). The antimicrobial activity and endotoxin content were analyzed for all collections. The results were statistically analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests at a significance level of 5%. After instrumentation with CHX, there was complete elimination of E. coli and C. albicans, except for E. faecalis, which was significantly reduced and then completely eliminated after intracanal medication. There was significant reduction of endotoxin after instrumentation. Comparison of collection after instrumentation and intracanal medication revealed reduction of endotoxins in all groups; this reduction was greater in group Ca(OH)2 followed by the group GEN. It was concluded that the instrumentation using CHX and intracanal medication used were able to eliminate the microorganisms from the root canal; the endotoxins were reduced, yet not completely eliminated. This study is important and relevant for searching alternatives during endodontic therapy, since it aims to study the effect of Zingiber officinale on microorganisms and endotoxins present in root canals.

  14. SalB inactivation modulates culture supernatant exoproteins and affects autolysis and viability in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shankar, Jayendra; Walker, Rachel G; Wilkinson, Mark C; Ward, Deborah; Horsburgh, Malcolm J

    2012-07-01

    The culture supernatant fraction of an Enterococcus faecalis gelE mutant of strain OG1RF contained elevated levels of the secreted antigen SalB. Using differential fluorescence gel electrophoresis (DIGE) the salB mutant was shown to possess a unique complement of exoproteins. Differentially abundant exoproteins were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Stress-related proteins including DnaK, Dps family protein, SOD, and NADH peroxidase were present in greater quantity in the OG1RF salB mutant culture supernatant. Moreover, several proteins involved in cell wall synthesis and cell division, including d-Ala-d-Lac ligase and EzrA, were present in reduced quantity in OG1RF salB relative to the parent strain. The salB mutant displayed reduced viability and anomalous cell division, and these phenotypes were exacerbated in a gelE salB double mutant. An epistatic relationship between gelE and salB was not identified with respect to increased autolysis and cell morphological changes observed in the salB mutant. SalB was purified as a six-histidine-tagged protein to investigate peptidoglycan hydrolytic activity; however, activity was not evident. High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of reduced muropeptides from peptidoglycan digested with mutanolysin revealed that the salB mutant and OG1RF were indistinguishable.

  15. Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of natural extracts of Morinda citrifolia, papain and aloe vera (all in gel formulation), 2% chlorhexidine gel and calcium hydroxide, against Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhardwaj, Anuj; Ballal, Suma; Velmurugan, Natanasabapathy

    2012-07-01

    A comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of natural extracts of Morinda citrifolia, papain, and aloe vera (all in gel formulations), 2% chlorhexidine gel and calcium hydroxide, against Enterococcus faecalis-an in vitro study. The antimicrobial efficacy was assessed in vitro using dentin shavings collected at 2 depths of 200 and 400 μm. The total colony forming units at the end of 1, 3, and 5 days were assessed. The overall percentage inhibition of bacterial growth (200 and 400 μm depth) was 100% with chlorhexidine gel. This was followed by M. citrifolia gel (86.02%), which showed better antimicrobial efficacy as compared with aloe vera gel (78.9%), papain gel (67.3%), and calcium hydroxide (64.3%). There was no statistical difference between data at 200 and 400 μm depth. Chlorhexidine gel showed the maximum antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis, whereas calcium hydroxide showed the least. Among the natural intracanal medicaments, M. citrifolia gel consistently exhibited good inhibition up to the 5(th) day followed by aloe vera gel and papain gel.

  16. Prevalence and antibiotic-resistance characteristics of Enterococcus spp. Isolated from free-living and captive raptors in Central Illinois.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marrow, Judilee; Whittington, Julia K; Mitchell, Mark; Hoyer, Lois L; Maddox, Carol

    2009-04-01

    Due to their predatory nature, raptor species may serve as important indicators of environmental contamination with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Raptors prey on small rodents and birds that have diverse habitat ranges, including urban and rural environments, and their intestinal microflora can reflect that of the animals on which they feed. Enterococcus spp. were selected as target organisms because they have been isolated from the avian gastrointestinal tract, can be conferred by prey items, and because they are capable of multiple resistance patterns. They are also a concerning source of human antimicrobial resistance. In this study fecal cultures were obtained from 15 May 2004 to 31 August 2004, from 21 free-living raptors and four captive raptors. Enterococcus was isolated from 21 (84%) of the 25 birds, and 54 isolates were chosen for further study based upon unique colony morphology. The most common isolate recovered was Enterococcus faecalis (95%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 89-100). One bird in the study was determined to have Enterococcus gallinarum. Two distinct ribotypes of E. faecalis were identified, one with unique bands at 11 and 13 kb and the other with unique bands at 14 and 20 kb. Both ribotypes were found in free-living and captive birds. The Enterococcus isolates in this study demonstrated a variety of antimicrobial-resistance characteristics, including almost complete resistance to amikacin, first-generation cephalosporins, spectinomycin, and sulphadimethoxime. Isolates demonstrated variable resistance to chloramphenicol, gentamicin, enrofloxacin, erythromycin, and ticarcillin. No phenotypically vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolates were recovered from any of the raptors; three isolates had intermediate level susceptibility. A significantly higher number of isolates collected from captive birds demonstrated resistance to chloramphenicol than those obtained from free-living birds. This trend was not duplicated with any of the remaining

  17. Identification and tracing of Enterococcus spp. by RAPD-PCR in traditional fermented sausages and meat environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín, B; Corominas, L; Garriga, M; Aymerich, T

    2009-01-01

    Four local small-scale factories were studied to determine the sources of enterococci in traditional fermented sausages. Different points during the production of a traditional fermented sausage type (fuet) were evaluated. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR was used to type 596 Enterococcus isolates from the final products, the initial meat batter, the casing, the workers' hands and the equipment. Species-specific PCR-multiplex and the partial sequencing of atpA gene and 16S rRNA gene sequencing allowed the identification of the isolates: Enterococcus faecalis (31.4%), Enterococcus faecium (30.7%), Enterococcus sanguinicola (14.9%), Enterococcus devriesei (9.7%), Enterococcus malodoratus (7.2%), Enterococcus gilvus (1.0%), Enterococcus gallinarum (1.3%), Enterococcus casseliflavus (3.4%), Enterococcus hermanniensis (0.2%), and Enterococcus durans (0.2%). A total of 92 different RAPD-PCR profiles were distributed among the different factories and samples evaluated. Most of the genotypes found in fuet samples were traced back to their source. The major sources of enterococci in the traditional fermented sausages studied were mainly the equipment followed by the raw ingredients, although a low proportion was traced back to human origin. This work contributes to determine the source of enterococcal contamination in fermented sausages and also to the knowledge of the meat environment.

  18. Anti-MRSA activities of Enterocins DD28 and DD93 and evidences on their role in the inhibition of biofilm formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Khassaf eAL ATYA

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, along with other antibiotic resistant bacteria, has become a worrisome superbug worldwide. This work was aimed at studying the efficacies of two class IIb bacteriocins, enterocins DD28 and DD93, against MRSA-S1 grown in planktonic culture and embedded in biofilms. These bacteriocins were purified, from the cultures supernatants of Enterococcus faecalis 28 and 93, using a simplified purification procedure consisting in a cation exchange chromatography and a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The anti-Staphylococcal activity of these bacteriocins was shown in-vitro by the assessment of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC. Afterwhich, a checkerboard and time-kill kinetics permitted unveiled a synergistic effect of these bacteriocins in combination with erythromycin and kanamycin against the clinical MRSA-S1. These bacteriocins alone or in combination with erythromycin and kanamycin were able to impede the formation of MRSA-S1 biofilms on stainless steel and glace devices as supported by the microbial cell counts, epifluorescence and Scanning Electron Microscope analyses.

  19. Enterocin B3A-B3B produced by LAB collected from infant faeces: potential utilization in the food industry for Listeria monocytogenes biofilm management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Seraih, Alaa; Belguesmia, Yanath; Baah, John; Szunerits, Sabine; Boukherroub, Rabah; Drider, Djamel

    2017-02-01

    Enterococcus faecalis B3A-B3B produces the bacteriocin B3A-B3B with activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium perfringens, but apparently not against fungi or Gram-negative bacteria, except for Salmonella Newport. B3A-B3B enterocin has two different nucleotides but similar amino acid composition to the class IIb MR10A-MR10B enterocin. B3A-B3B consists of two peptides of predicted molecular mass of 5176.31 Da (B3A) and 5182.21 Da (B3B). Importantly, B3A-B3B impeded biofilm formation of the foodborne pathogen L. monocytogenes 162 grown on stainless steel. The antimicrobial treatment of stainless steel with nisin (1 or 16 mg ml -1 ) decreased the cell numbers by about 2 log CFU ml -1 , thereby impeding the biofilm formation by L. monocytogenes 162 or its nisin-resistant derivative strain L. monocytogenes 162R. Furthermore, the combination of nisin and B3A-B3B enterocin reduced the MIC required to inhibit this pathogen grown in planktonic or biofilm cultures.

  20. Functional analysis of the citrate activator CitO from Enterococcus faecalis implicates a divalent metal in ligand binding

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    Victor S. Blancato

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The regulator of citrate metabolism, CitO, from Enterococcus faecalis belongs to the FCD family within the GntR superfamily. In the presence of citrate, CitO binds to cis-acting sequences located upstream of the cit promoters inducing the expression of genes involved in citrate utilization. The quantification of the molecular binding affinities, performed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC, indicated that CitO has a high affinity for citrate (KD= 1.2±0.2 µM, while it did not recognize other metabolic intermediates. Based on a structural model of CitO where a putative small molecule and a metal binding site were identified, it was hypothesized that the metal ion is required for citrate binding. In agreement with this model, citrate binding to CitO sharply decreased when the protein was incubated with EDTA. This effect was reverted by the addition of Ni2+, and Zn2+ to a lesser extent. Structure-based site-directed mutagenesis was conducted and it was found that changes to alanine in residues Arg97 and His191 resulted in decreased binding affinities for citrate, as determined by EMSA and ITC. Further assays using lacZ fusions confirmed that these residues in CitO are involved in sensing citrate in vivo. These results indicate that the molecular modifications induced by a ligand and a metal binding in the C-terminal domain of CitO are required for optimal DNA binding activity, and consequently, transcriptional activation.

  1. Antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus isolates in Turkey: A meta-analysis of current studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilbas, Imdat; Ciftci, Ihsan Hakki

    2018-03-01

    In this study, a meta-analysis of Enterococcus isolates collected in 2000-2015 in Turkey and their susceptibility/resistance to antibiotics, clinical indications for initial drug treatment, and identification of alternative treatments was conducted. The meta-analysis examined antibiotic susceptibility/resistance in Enterococcus spp. isolates. The study was planned and conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Statements on antimicrobial resistance were grouped according to the antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP). The mean resistance rates of Enterococcus faecalis to vancomycin (VAN) and linezolid (LNZ) were 1.0±2.2% and 1.9±2.6%, respectively, whereas the mean resistance rates of Enterococcus faecium to VAN and LNZ were 10.3±11.3% and 2.4±0%, respectively. This study is the first meta-analysis of the resistance of clinical Enterococcus isolates in Turkey to antimicrobial agents, which is a major problem stemming from the excessive usage of antibiotics. The development of antibiotic resistance in Turkey has changed over time. To support the practice of evidence-based medicine, more notifications about Enterococcus resistance status are needed, especially notifications following ASP rules. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Estudio de actinomicetos marinos aislados de la costa central del Perú y su actividad antibacteriana frente a Staphylococcus aureus Meticilina Resistentes y Enterococcus faecalis Vancomicina Resistentes Study of marine actinomycetes isolated from the central coast of Peru and their antibacterial activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge León

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Objetivos. Determinar el potencial antimicrobiano de actinomicetos marinos frente a cepas S. aureus meticilino-resistentes (MRSA y E. faecalis vancomicina-resistentes (VRE. Materiales y métodos. En dos medios de cultivo se sembraron 29 cepas de actinomicetos aislados de sedimento marino. Se evaluó la capacidad inhibitoria mediante pruebas de antagonismo in vitro para MRSA y VRE. Se procesó los extractos orgánicos de tres actinomicetos seleccionados para determinar la Concentración Mínima Inhibitoria (CMI del compuesto activo. Resultados. La mayoría de los actinomicetos aislados correspondieron a un grupo homogéneo de blanco-grisáceos (62% con buen nivel de crecimiento en agar marino. Los porcentajes inhibitorios fueron superiores a 85% para ambos patógenos con halos de inhibición mayores a 69 y 78 mm de diámetro para MRSA y VRE respectivamente. Los extractos diclorometánicos de tres de los actinomicetos aislados (I-400A, B1-T61, M10-77 mostraron gran potencial inhibitorio de ambos patógenos, siendo M10-77 la cepa de actinomiceto de mayor actividad antibiótica frente a S. aureus ATCC 43300 resistente a meticilina y E. faecalis ATCC 51299 resistente a vancomicina con una Concentración Mínima Inhibitoria (CMI de 7,9 y 31,7 μg/ mL respectivamente. El análisis filogenético de la cepa M10- 77 presenta un 99% de similaridad con la especie marina Streptomyces erythrogriseus. Conclusiones. El sedimento marino de la costa central del Perú es fuente promisorio de cepas de actinomicetos con gran capacidad de producir compuestos bioactivos capaces de inhibir patógenos tipificados como multidrogo-resistentes tales como S. aureus meticilino resistentes y E. faecalis vancomicina resistentes.Objectives. To determine the antimicrobial potential of marine actinomycetes against drug-resistant pathogens represented by strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE. Materials and

  3. Antibiotic Resistance of Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Gastrointestinal Tract of Broiler Chickens after Propolis and Bee Pollen Addition

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    Miroslav Kročko

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available One of the safety aspects of antimicrobials (propolis and bee pollen use in poultry farms as growth promoters is higher susceptibility of gastrointestinal microorganisms to antibiotics used for human treatment. Enterococci belong to the normal microbiota of gastrointestinal tract of chickens and are widely distributed in nature, but they are not generally recognized as safe (GRAS. Poultry enterococci carrying antimicrobial resistance genes may not only transfer these genes to other, possibly pathogenic, bacteria in the chicken gut, but upon transfer to zoonotic bacteria they also may pose a human health hazard. Antibiotic resistance prevalence of E. faecalis isolates found in the crop was subsequently found in the ileum and caecum within each group of broiler chickens. No resistance of E. faecalis isolates was found against vancomycin and teicoplanin. Intermediate resistance to erythromycin in the most E. faecalis isolates from gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens with propolis supplement in their diet was eliminated. Our results suggest the probability of synergism effect of propolis and also bee pollen with some tested antibiotics against E. faecalis isolates.

  4. Multidrug resistance in Enterococcus species of faecal origin from commercial dairy lactating cattle: Public health concern

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    Godfred Ngu Tanih

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of Enterococcus species in cattle faeces, their corresponding drug resistant patterns as well as the genes coding for resistance in the isolates. Methods: Two hundred and ninety rectal swabs were cultured for the isolation of Enterococcus. Presumptive isolates were confirmed by PCR, targeting the tuf gene, and confirmed isolates were identified to species level, using species-specific primers aimed at targeting six different species. Additionally, antibiogram was performed by disc diffusion and genes implicated in resistance were evaluated using molecular methods. Results: All presumptive isolates were confirmed as Enterococcus and speciated as: Enterococcus hirae (82%, Enterococcus faecium (5%, Enterococcus durans (5%, Enterococcus faecalis (2% and 6% of unidentified species. Resistance to various antimicrobials ranged from 16.4% for penicillin to 69.6% for erythromycin. Among the tetracycline and erythromycin-resistant isolates, tet M (100% and erm B (29% were the only amplified genes known to mediate resistance respectively. Other detected genes included van B (25%, van C1 (21% and bla Z (11%. Conclusions: A high prevalence of multidrug resistant Enterococcus species was observed in this study, accentuating the need to improve on animal farming practices to prevent the dissemination of this microorganism to the environment.

  5. Biotoxicity of Mars soils: 2. Survival of Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis in aqueous extracts derived from six Mars analog soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuerger, Andrew C.; Ming, Doug W.; Golden, D. C.

    2017-07-01

    The search for an extant microbiota on Mars depends on exploring sites that contain transient or permanent liquid water near the surface. Examples of possible sites for liquid water may be active recurring slope lineae (RSL) and fluid inclusions in ice or salt deposits. The presence of saline fluids on Mars will act to depress the freezing points of liquid water to as low as ‒60 °C, potentially permitting the metabolism and growth of halophilic microorganisms to temperatures significantly below the freezing point of pure water at 0 °C. In order to predict the potential risks of forward contamination by Earth microorganisms to subsurface sites on Mars with liquid brines, experiments were designed to characterize the short-term survival of two bacteria in aqueous soil solutions from six analog soils. The term ''soil'' is used here to denote any loose, unconsolidated matrix with no implications for the presence or absence of organics or biology. The analog soils were previously described (Schuerger et al., 2012, Planetary Space Sci., 72, 91-101), and represented crushed Basalt (benign control), Salt, Acid, Alkaline, Aeolian, and Phoenix analogs on Mars. The survival rates of spores of Bacillus subtilis and vegetative cells of Enterococcus faecalis were tested in soil solutions from each analog at 24, 0, or ‒70 °C for time periods up to 28 d. Survival of dormant spores of B. subtilis were mostly unaffected by incubation in the aqueous extracts of all six Mars analogs. In contrast, survival rates of E. faecalis cells were suppressed by all soil solutions when incubated at 24 °C but improved at 0 and ‒70 °C, except for assays in the Salt and Acid soil solutions in which most cells were killed. Results suggest that Earth microorganisms that form spores may persist in liquid brines on Mars better than non-spore forming species, and thus, spore-forming species may pose a potential forward contamination risk to sites with liquid brines.

  6. Phage therapy against Enterococcus faecalis in dental root canals

    OpenAIRE

    Khalifa, Leron; Shlezinger, Mor; Beyth, Shaul; Houri-Haddad, Yael; Coppenhagen-Glazer, Shunit; Beyth, Nurit; Hazan, Ronen

    2016-01-01

    Antibiotic resistance is an ever-growing problem faced by all major sectors of health care, including dentistry. Recurrent infections related to multidrug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in hospitals are untreatable and question the effectiveness of notable drugs. Two major reasons for these recurrent infections are acquired antibiotic resistance genes and biofilm format...

  7. Antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of polypropylene meshes coated with metal-containing DLC thin films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cazalini, Elisa M; Miyakawa, Walter; Teodoro, Guilherme R; Sobrinho, Argemiro S S; Matieli, José E; Massi, Marcos; Koga-Ito, Cristiane Y

    2017-06-01

    A promising strategy to reduce nosocomial infections related to prosthetic meshes is the prevention of microbial colonization. To this aim, prosthetic meshes coated with antimicrobial thin films are proposed. Commercial polypropylene meshes were coated with metal-containing diamond-like carbon (Me-DLC) thin films by the magnetron sputtering technique. Several dissimilar metals (silver, cobalt, indium, tungsten, tin, aluminum, chromium, zinc, manganese, tantalum, and titanium) were tested and compositional analyses of each Me-DLC were performed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Antimicrobial activities of the films against five microbial species (Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis) were also investigated by a modified Kirby-Bauer test. Results showed that films containing silver and cobalt have inhibited the growth of all microbial species. Tungsten-DLC, tin-DLC, aluminum-DLC, zinc-DLC, manganese-DLC, and tantalum-DLC inhibited the growth of some strains, while chromium- and titanium-DLC weakly inhibited the growth of only one tested strain. In-DLC film showed no antimicrobial activity. The effects of tungsten-DLC and cobalt-DLC on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation were also assessed. Tungsten-DLC was able to significantly reduce biofilm formation. Overall, the experimental results in the present study have shown new approaches to coating polymeric biomaterials aiming antimicrobial effect.

  8. Antibacterial effects of Pluchea indica Less leaf extract on E. faecalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum (in vitro

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    Agni Febrina Pargaputri

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Enterococcus. faecalis (E. faecalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum are the most common bacteria found in infected tooth root canal. Most of these bacteria often cause failure in endodontic treatments. Pluchea indica Less leaf is a species of plants that has several chemical properties. It consists of flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols, and essensial oils which have been reported as antibacterial agents. Because of its benefits, the extract of Pluchea indica Less leaves may be potentially developed as one of root canal sterilization dressing. Purpose: This study aimed to determine antibacterial activity of Pluchea indica Less leaves extract against E. faecalis and F. nucleatum bacteria. Method: Dilution method was conducted first to show Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC of the extract against E. faecalis and F. nucleatum. The antibacterial activity test on Pluchea indica Less leaves extract was performed on E. faecalis and F. nucleatum bacteria using agar diffusion method. The Pluchea indica Less leaves extract used for antibacterial activity test was at a concentrations of 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, and 6.25%. Thirty-five petridiscs were used and divided into five groups based on the extract concentration. Result: The results showed strong and moderate antibacterial effects of the Pluchea indica Less leaves extract on E. faecalis at the concentrations of 100% and 50%, while on F. nucleatum only at the concentration of 100% with moderate effect. Conclusion: Pluchea indica Less leaves extract has antibacterial activity against E. faecalis and F. nucleatum bacteria with strong-moderate effect.

  9. Dogs leaving the ICU carry a very large multi-drug resistant enterococcal population with capacity for biofilm formation and horizontal gene transfer.

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    Anuradha Ghosh

    Full Text Available The enterococcal community from feces of seven dogs treated with antibiotics for 2-9 days in the veterinary intensive care unit (ICU was characterized. Both, culture-based approach and culture-independent 16S rDNA amplicon 454 pyrosequencing, revealed an abnormally large enterococcal community: 1.4±0.8×10(8 CFU gram(-1 of feces and 48.9±11.5% of the total 16,228 sequences, respectively. The diversity of the overall microbial community was very low which likely reflects a high selective antibiotic pressure. The enterococcal diversity based on 210 isolates was also low as represented by Enterococcus faecium (54.6% and Enterococcus faecalis (45.4%. E. faecium was frequently resistant to enrofloxacin (97.3%, ampicillin (96.5%, tetracycline (84.1%, doxycycline (60.2%, erythromycin (53.1%, gentamicin (48.7%, streptomycin (42.5%, and nitrofurantoin (26.5%. In E. faecalis, resistance was common to tetracycline (59.6%, erythromycin (56.4%, doxycycline (53.2%, and enrofloxacin (31.9%. No resistance was detected to vancomycin, tigecycline, linezolid, and quinupristin/dalfopristin in either species. Many isolates carried virulence traits including gelatinase, aggregation substance, cytolysin, and enterococcal surface protein. All E. faecalis strains were biofilm formers in vitro and this phenotype correlated with the presence of gelE and/or esp. In vitro intra-species conjugation assays demonstrated that E. faecium were capable of transferring tetracycline, doxycycline, streptomycin, gentamicin, and erythromycin resistance traits to human clinical strains. Multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE of E. faecium strains showed very low genotypic diversity. Interestingly, three E. faecium clones were shared among four dogs suggesting their nosocomial origin. Furthermore, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST of nine representative MLVA types revealed that six sequence types (STs originating from five

  10. Identification of Multiple Bacteriocins in Enterococcus spp. Using an Enterococcus-Specific Bacteriocin PCR Array

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    Chris Henning

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Twenty-two bacteriocin-producing Enterococcus isolates obtained from food and animal sources, and demonstrating activity against Listeria monocytogenes, were screened for bacteriocin-related genes using a bacteriocin PCR array based on known enterococcal bacteriocin gene sequences in the NCBI GenBank database. The 22 bacteriocin-positive (Bac+ enterococci included En. durans (1, En. faecalis (4, En. faecium (12, En. hirae (3, and En. thailandicus (2. Enterocin A (entA, enterocins mr10A and mr10B (mr10AB, and bacteriocin T8 (bacA were the most commonly found structural genes in order of decreasing prevalence. Forty-five bacteriocin genes were identified within the 22 Bac+ isolates, each containing at least one of the screened structural genes. Of the 22 Bac+ isolates, 15 possessed two bacteriocin genes, seven isolates contained three different bacteriocins, and three isolates contained as many as four different bacteriocin genes. These results may explain the high degree of bactericidal activity observed with various Bac+ Enterococcus spp. Antimicrobial activity against wild-type L. monocytogenes and a bacteriocin-resistant variant demonstrated bacteriocins having different modes-of-action. Mixtures of bacteriocins, especially those with different modes-of-action and having activity against foodborne pathogens, such as L. monocytogenes, may play a promising role in the preservation of food.

  11. Biofilm Formation by Bacteria Isolated from Intravenous Catheters

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    Sina Hedayati

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Reports on the association of nosocomial bacterial infections with indwelling medical devices such as intravenous catheters (IVC has increased in recent years. The potential to form biofilm on these devices seems to be the main reason for establishment of such infections. The aim of this study was to measure the potential of biofilm formation by bacterialisolates from IVCs.Methods: Seventy-one IVCs were collected from hospitalized patients in ICU, NICU, hematology and oncology wards at Taleghani Hospital from Jan 2010 to Jan 2011. The bacterial isolates were identified using the standard biochemical tests and the potential to form biofilms was determined by the microtiter plate assay method (MTP and colony morphology using Congo red agar plates (CRA.Results: Overall, 54 (71% IVCs were colonized and 76 bacteria were isolated among which, 64 (84.2% were coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS, 3 (3.9% S. aureus, 3 (3.9% Enterococcus spp., 2 (2.6% E. coli and 4 (5.3% were miscellaneous isolates not further identified. Among the CoNS, biofilm formation was observed in 68.7% and 82.8% of bacteriausing MTP and CRA methods, respectively. S. aureus and E. coli isolates also were biofilm producers but Enterococcus and other unknown isolates were biofilm negative.Conclusions: Our results confirm that the prevalent biofilm forming bacteria on IVCs were CoNS and that was the reason for high rates of nosocomial infections.

  12. Rapid disc diffusion antibiotic susceptibility testing for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterococcus spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hombach, Michael; Jetter, Marion; Blöchliger, Nicolas; Kolesnik-Goldmann, Natalia; Keller, Peter M; Böttger, Erik C

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background We investigated the feasibility of rapid disc diffusion antibiotic susceptibility testing (rAST) with reading of inhibition zones after 6 and/or 8 h of incubation for Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. In addition, we evaluated discrimination of resistant populations from the WT populations at early timepoints and the requirement for clinical breakpoint adaptations for proper interpretation of rAST data. Methods In total, 815 clinical strains [E. faecalis (n = 135), E. faecium (n = 227), P. aeruginosa (n = 295) and A. baumannii (n = 158)] were included in this study. Disc diffusion plates were streaked, incubated and imaged using the WASPLabTM automation system. WT populations and non-WT populations were defined using epidemiological cut-offs. Results and conclusions rAST at 6 and 8 h was possible for A. baumannii and enterococci with readability of inhibition zones >90%. Overall categorical agreement of rAST at 6 h with AST at 18 h was 97.2%, 97.4% and 95.3% for E. faecalis, E. faecium and A. baumannii, respectively. With few exceptions, major categorization error rates were <1% for A. baumannii, and vancomycin-resistant E. faecium were clearly separated from the WT at 6 h. For P. aeruginosa the average readability of inhibition zones was 68.9% at 8 h and we found an overall categorical agreement of 94.8%. Adaptations of clinical breakpoints and/or introduction of technical buffer zones, preferably based on aggregated population data from various epidemiological settings, are required for proper interpretation of rAST. PMID:29186434

  13. Effect of a passive sonic irrigation system on elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from root canal systems of primary teeth, using different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite: An in vitro evaluation

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    Elham Afshari

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background. This in vitro study aimed to compare the antibacterial effect of different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite on elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from root canal systems of primary teeth with or without a passive sonic irrigation system (EndoActivator. Methods. The root canals of 120 extracted single-rooted primary incisors were prepared using the crown-down technique. The teeth were autoclaved and inoculated with E. faecalis. The infected samples were then randomly divided into 6 experimental groups of 15 and positive and negative control groups as follows: group 1: 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution; group 2: 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution; group 3: 5% sodium hypochlorite solution; group 4: 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution + sonic activation; group 5: 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution + sonic activation; and group 6: 5% sodium hypochlorite solution + sonic activation. Microbiological samples were collected before and after disinfection procedures and the colony-forming units were counted. Statistical analyses were performed using the two-way ANOVA and post hoc Duncan's tests in cases of significant difference. Results. There were no significant differences between the groups in any of the variables (concentration of antiseptic or use of sonic irrigation system. Conclusion. Use of passive sonic irrigation systems in endodontic treatment of single-rooted primary teeth is of no benefit compared to regular needle irrigation. The results of this study also recommends use of lower concentrations of sodium hypochlorite solution (0.5% for irrigation of the root canal system rather than higher concentrations given approximately equal efficacy.

  14. Çiğ Sütten İzole Edilen Enterosin B Üreticisi Enterococcus Faecalis Mye58 Suşunun Güvenlik Değerlendirmesi

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    Merve Tuncer

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Bu çalışmada, çiğ sütten izole edilen bakteriyosin üreticisi Enterococcus faecalis MYE58’de enterosin, virülens faktör ve vankomisin direnç genlerinin varlığını araştırdık. Ayrıca, bu suşun hemolitik aktivite, jelatinaz üretimi ve antibiyotik dirençlilik özelliklerini de test ettik. MYE58 suşunun Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus ve Staphylococcus aureus gibi Gram pozitif bakterileri inhibe ettiği belirlenmiştir. MYE58 suşunda enterosin B yapısal geninin (entB varlığı tespit edilmiştir. MYE58 suşu hemoliz ve jalatinaz aktivitesi göstermemiştir. MYE58 suşunda gelE ve espfs genlerinin varlığı tespit edilmiş fakat agg, ace, efaAfs, ccf, cob, cpd, cat, cylM, cylB, cylA, vanA ve vanB genlerinin varlığı tespit edilmemiştir. MYE58 suşu streptomisin ve tetrasikline dirençli bulunmuştur. Bu çalışmanın sonuçları, enterosin B üreticisi E. faecalis MYE58 suşunun starter kültür olarak kullanılmasının tüketici sağlığı açısından risk teşkil edebileceğini göstermiştir. Ancak, MYE58 suşu tarafından üretilen enterosin B’nin saflaştırılmış veya kısmi saflaştırılmış preparatlarının Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus'e Staphylococcus aureus’a karşı gıda muhafazasında kullanılabilme potansiyeli vardır.

  15. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility in clinical isolates of Enterococcus species Susceptibilidad antimicrobiana in vitro en aislamientos clínicos de Enterococcus species

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    Ernesto Calderón-Jaimes

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To describe the antimicrobial activity of several antimicrobial agents against 97 clinical significant isolates of Enterococcus spp. MATHERIAL AND METHODS: During a 2-year prospective study at Instituto Nacional de Pediatria (National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City. Ninety seven strains of Enterococcus spp. (60 E. faecalis and 37 E. faecium were tested against 11 antibiotics. Susceptibility tests were performed with agar, according to the standards of the sNational Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS. Isolates were screened for high-level resistance (HLR to beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides and other antibiotics, as well as for vancomycin-phenotypes. Differences between proportions were evaluated with chi2 of Fisher exact fest. RESULTS: Overall resistance rates to the antibiotics tested were: 17/97 (17.5% to penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate and imipenem. There was neither HLR nor beta-lactamase production; 74/97 (48.4% were resistant to erythromycin; 60% to ciprofloxacin; 31/97 (32% to gentamicin, and 55/97 (56.7% to streptomycin. Seven strains were vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE, all of them identified as E. faecium; 5/7 with Van A and 2/7 with Van B phenotypes. All the isolates were susceptible to linezolid. The difference in susceptibility among species was significant. CONCLUSIONS: Mutidrug-resistant enterococci is a real problem and continuous surveillance is necessary. The microbiology laboratory is the first line of defense against the spread of multiantibiotic-resistan enterococci in the hospital environment . All the strains recovered should be tested for susceptibility to ampicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin and glycopeptides.OBJECTIVO: Describir la actividad antimicrobiana de varios antibióticos, contra 97 cepas de Enterococcus spp., consideradas como aislamientos clínicamente significativos. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: En un estudio prospectivo de dos años, (enero de 1998

  16. A Comparison of Profile, Race and FKG Systems in Eliminating Enterococcus Faecalis from the Apical Third of Mandibular Premolars

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    K. Nazari Moghaddam

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Statement of problem: Microorganisms are essential for the development of periradicular diseases and are one of the major causative factors associated with endodontic treatment failures. Different instruments and preparation techniques have been developed in Endodontics to eliminate or reduce intracanal bacteria.Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the amount of remaining E. faecalis in the apical third of root canals following instrumentation with Profile, Race and FKG files.Materials and Methods: Ninety freshly extracted mandibular single canal premolars were selected. A horizontal groove was made circumferentially around the roots at a depth of 0.5mm and a distance of 5 mm from the anatomic apex. All the equipments were sterilized overnight by ethylene oxide gas. Root canals, inoculated with E. faecalis suspension, were prepared using Profile, Race or FKG instruments in a step-back technique. Master apical file, amount of irrigant for each canal and working length were similar in all specimens groups. Following preparation, the apical portions of the roots were separated from the previously made grooves and were sampled by sterile paper points. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple range tests.Results: Profile was significantly more effective in eliminating E. faecalis as compared to Race. A significant difference was not observed between FKG and the other two studied instrumentation techniques.Conclusions: Neither of the methods could completely eliminate E. faecalis from the root canals.

  17. Resistance mechanisms of linezolid-nonsusceptible enterococci in Korea: low rate of 23S rRNA mutations in Enterococcus faecium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sae-Mi; Huh, Hee Jae; Song, Dong Joon; Shim, Hyang Jin; Park, Kyung Sun; Kang, Cheol-In; Ki, Chang-Seok; Lee, Nam Yong

    2017-12-01

    To investigate linezolid-resistance mechanisms in linezolid-nonsusceptible enterococci (LNSE) isolated from a tertiary hospital in Korea. Enterococcal isolates exhibiting linezolid MICs ≥4 mg l -1 that were isolated between December 2011 and May 2016 were investigated by PCR and sequencing for mutations in 23S rRNA or ribosomal proteins (L3, L4 and L22) and for the presence of cfr, cfr(B) and optrA genes.Results/Key findings. Among 135 LNSE (87 Enterococcus faecium and 48 Enterococcus faecalis isolates), 39.1 % (34/87) of E. faecium and 18.8 % (9/48) of E. faecalis isolates were linezolid-resistant. The optrA carriage was the dominant mechanism in E. faecalis: 13 isolates, including 10 E. faecalis [70 % (7/10) linezolid-resistant and 30 % (3/10) linezolid-intermediate] and three E. faecium [33.3 % (1/3) linezolid-resistant and 66.7 % (2/3) linezolid-intermediate], contained the optrA gene. G2576T mutations in the 23S rRNA gene were detected only in E. faecium [14 isolates; 71.4 % (10/14) linezolid-resistant and 28.6 % (4/14) linezolid-intermediate]. One linezolid-intermediate E. faecium harboured a L22 protein alteration (Ser77Thr). No isolates contained cfr or cfr(B) genes and any L3 or L4 protein alterations. No genetic mechanism of resistance was identified for 67.6 % (23/34) of linezolid-resistant E. faecium. A low rate of 23S rRNA mutations and the absence of known linezolid-resistance mechanisms in the majority of E. faecium isolates suggest regional differences in the mechanisms of linezolid resistance and the possibility of additional mechanisms.

  18. New antimicrobial contact catalyst killing antibiotic resistant clinical and waterborne pathogens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guridi, A. [Biophysics Unit (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa (Spain); Diederich, A.-K. [University Medical Center Freiburg, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106 Freiburg (Germany); Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); Aguila-Arcos, S.; Garcia-Moreno, M. [Biophysics Unit (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa (Spain); Blasi, R.; Broszat, M. [University Medical Center Freiburg, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106 Freiburg (Germany); Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); Schmieder, W.; Clauss-Lendzian, E. [Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); Sakinc-Gueler, T. [University Medical Center Freiburg, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106 Freiburg (Germany); Andrade, R. [Advanced Research Facilities (SGIker), University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa (Spain); Alkorta, I. [Biophysics Unit (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa (Spain); Meyer, C.; Landau, U. [Largentec GmbH, Am Waldhaus 32, 14129 Berlin (Germany); Grohmann, E., E-mail: elisabeth.grohmann@googlemail.com [Biophysics Unit (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa (Spain); University Medical Center Freiburg, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106 Freiburg (Germany); Biology II, Microbiology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg (Germany)

    2015-05-01

    Microbial growth on medical and technical devices is a big health issue, particularly when microorganisms aggregate to form biofilms. Moreover, the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the clinical environment is dramatically growing, making treatment of bacterial infections very challenging. In search of an alternative, we studied a novel antimicrobial surface coating based on micro galvanic elements formed by silver and ruthenium with surface catalytic properties. The antimicrobial coating efficiently inhibited the growth of the nosocomial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium as demonstrated by the growth inhibition on agar surface and in biofilms of antibiotic resistant clinical E. faecalis, E. faecium, and S. aureus isolates. It also strongly reduced the growth of Legionella in a drinking water pipeline and of Escherichia coli in urine. We postulate a mode of action of the antimicrobial material, which is independent of the release of silver ions. Thus, the novel antimicrobial coating could represent an alternative to combat microbial growth avoiding the toxic side effects of high levels of silver ions on eukaryotic cells. - Highlights: • The novel antimicrobial inhibits growth of clinical staphylococci and enterococci. • The novel antimicrobial inhibits growth of Legionella in drinking water. • A putative mode of action of the antimicrobial coating is presented.

  19. New antimicrobial contact catalyst killing antibiotic resistant clinical and waterborne pathogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guridi, A.; Diederich, A.-K.; Aguila-Arcos, S.; Garcia-Moreno, M.; Blasi, R.; Broszat, M.; Schmieder, W.; Clauss-Lendzian, E.; Sakinc-Gueler, T.; Andrade, R.; Alkorta, I.; Meyer, C.; Landau, U.; Grohmann, E.

    2015-01-01

    Microbial growth on medical and technical devices is a big health issue, particularly when microorganisms aggregate to form biofilms. Moreover, the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the clinical environment is dramatically growing, making treatment of bacterial infections very challenging. In search of an alternative, we studied a novel antimicrobial surface coating based on micro galvanic elements formed by silver and ruthenium with surface catalytic properties. The antimicrobial coating efficiently inhibited the growth of the nosocomial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium as demonstrated by the growth inhibition on agar surface and in biofilms of antibiotic resistant clinical E. faecalis, E. faecium, and S. aureus isolates. It also strongly reduced the growth of Legionella in a drinking water pipeline and of Escherichia coli in urine. We postulate a mode of action of the antimicrobial material, which is independent of the release of silver ions. Thus, the novel antimicrobial coating could represent an alternative to combat microbial growth avoiding the toxic side effects of high levels of silver ions on eukaryotic cells. - Highlights: • The novel antimicrobial inhibits growth of clinical staphylococci and enterococci. • The novel antimicrobial inhibits growth of Legionella in drinking water. • A putative mode of action of the antimicrobial coating is presented

  20. Prevalence of "non-oral" pathogenic bacteria in subgingival biofilm of subjects with chronic periodontitis Prevalência de bactérias patogênicas "não-orais" no biofilme dental subgengival de pacientes com periodontite crônica

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    Renata Souto

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available The oral cavity may act as a reservoir for several pathogens related to systemic infections. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and levels of pathogenic bacteria in the subgingival biofilm of chronic periodontitis lesions and healthy periodontal sites using the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization technique. 200 samples of subgingival biofilm from sites with periodontitis (probing pocket depth > 4 mm and /or clinical attachment level > 4 mm and 200 samples from healthy sites of 14 patients with chronic periodontitis, as well as 200 samples from 3 periodontally healthy patients were obtained. The presence and levels of 11 pathogenic bacteria were determined using whole genomic DNA probes and the checkerboard method, computed for each site and then across sites within each subject group. Significance of differences in clinical and microbiological parameters among groups were examinated using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon sign tests. The predominant species in all 600 samples included Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus,Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli. In general, most of the species were detected in greater prevalence and levels in sites with and without disease from patients with periodontitis in comparison to the periodontally healthy group. In particular, C. diphtheriae, E. coli, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were significantly more prevalent and detected in higher counts in diseased sites of patients with periodontal disease compared to healthy subjects (p Apesar da extensa literatura sobre a associação de bactérias orais e doenças sistêmicas, tem se dado pouca atenção à cavidade oral como um reservatório de bactérias patogênicas "não-orais". A microbiota oral é constituída de mais de 300 espécies bacterianas já caracterizadas, além de organismos não cultiváveis que vêm sendo descobertos através de técnicas moleculares. O

  1. Function analysis of luxS gene relating to quorum sensing system in Enterococcus faecalis%粪肠球菌群体感应系统luxS基因的研究

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    邵长林; 孙忠科; 尚伟; 袁静; 廖祥儒

    2011-01-01

    Objective To study the function of luxS gene relating to quorum sensing system and synthesize AI-2 signaling molecules in vitro and to further explore the LuxS/AI-2 dependent quorum sensing system in Enterococcus faecalis. Methods First, Vibrio harveyi BB170 was used as a reporter strain to detect the AI-2 activity of culture supernatants from E. Faecalis. Secondly, luxS and pfs genes were amplified from E. Faecalis and compared with the amino acid sequences. Then,the two genes were inserted into pGEX-4T-l expression vector, transformed into Escherichia coli BL2l( DE3 ) for expression and purification. Finally, AI-2 was synthesized in vitro with S-adenosylhomocysteine( SAH ) as a substrate and the purified proteins or cell proteins from E. Coli as catalytic enzymes for the reaction. Results Three strains of E. Faecalis were all able to secrete the active AI-2 signaling molecules. A high LuxS protein homology was analyzed among E. Faecalis, V. Harveyi, Salmonella typhimurium and E. Coli. The active AI-2 molecules could be synthesized by SAH with purified proteins or cell proteins from E. Coli. Conclusion LuxS/AI-2 dependent quorum sensing system is found in E. Faecalis and the luxS gene is required for AI-2 production.%目的 研究粪肠球菌群体感应系统luxS基因的功能并体外合成AI-2信号分子,为研究粪肠球菌LuxS/AI-2依赖的群体感应系统提供依据.方法 以哈氏弧菌BB170作为报告菌株,检测3株粪肠球菌培养上清的AI-2活性,然后从粪肠球菌中扩增出luxS和pfs基因,测序和比对氨基酸序列,并将两基因插入到pGEX-4T-1表达载体中,转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中实现表达与纯化,进而以S-腺苷高半胱氨酸为底物、纯化的蛋白或构建的大肠杆菌菌体蛋白为反应酶,体外合成AI-2.结果 3株粪肠球菌均能够分泌有活性的AI-2

  2. An in vitro evaluation of the antibacterial efficacy of chlorine dioxide on E. faecalis in bovine incisors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eddy, Russell S; Joyce, Anthony P; Roberts, Steven; Buxton, Thomas B; Liewehr, Frederick

    2005-09-01

    This study investigated the ability of chlorine dioxide to eliminate Enterococcus faecalis from dentinal tubules of bovine incisors. Thirty-seven extracted bovine incisor roots were sectioned into seventy-four 5 mm disks. Standardized lumens were filled with either sterile Brain Heart Infusion Broth (contamination controls, n = 10) or BHI containing E. faecalis (1.0 x 10 cfu/ml). Disks were incubated in 5% CO2 at 37 degrees C for 72 h. To simulate endodontic instrumentation the lumens were again enlarged. Sixty disks were randomly divided into four experimental groups and filled with one of the following irrigants: 10% Clidox-S (chlorine dioxide), 13.8% BioClenz (chlorine dioxide), 5.25% Clorox, or saline. The disks were incubated for 30 min and were then frozen, pulverized, serially diluted in phosphate buffered saline, and plated on BHI plates in triplicate. Total colony forming units were counted macroscopically. Statistical analysis of the data was performed with a Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA on ranks (p " denotes significant differences): Saline > Clidox-S = BioClenz > Clorox. All negative controls were sterile. Chlorine dioxide and NaOCL were both effective in eliminating E. faecalis from the dentinal disks within 30 min.

  3. In vitro activity of the new water-dispersible Fe3O4@usnic acid nanostructure against planktonic and sessile bacterial cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai; Cotar, Ani Ioana; Andronescu, Ecaterina; Ficai, Anton; Ghitulica, Cristina Daniela; Grumezescu, Valentina; Vasile, Bogdan Stefan; Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen

    2013-07-01

    A new water-dispersible nanostructure based on magnetite (Fe3O4) and usnic acid (UA) was prepared in a well-shaped spherical form by a precipitation method. Nanoparticles were well individualized and homogeneous in size. The presence of Fe3O4@UA was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The UA was entrapped in the magnetic nanoparticles during preparation and the amount of entrapped UA was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis. Fabricated nanostructures were tested on planktonic cells growth (minimal inhibitory concentration assay) and biofilm development on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus), Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli ( E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) reference strains. Concerning the influence of Fe3O4@UA on the planktonic bacterial cells, the functionalized magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a significantly improved antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis and E. coli, as compared with the Fe3O4 control. The UA incorporated into the magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a very significant inhibitory effect on the biofilm formed by the S. aureus and E. faecalis, on a wide range of concentrations, while in case of the Gram-negative microbial strains, the UA-loaded nanoparticles inhibited the E. coli biofilm development, only at high concentrations, while for P. aeruginosa biofilms, no inhibitory effect was observed. The obtained results demonstrate that the new water-dispersible Fe3O4@UA nanosystem, combining the advantages of the intrinsic antimicrobial features of the UA with the higher surface to volume ratio provided by the magnetic nanocarrier dispersible in water, exhibits efficient antimicrobial activity against planktonic and adherent cells, especially on Gram-positive strains.

  4. In vitro activity of the new water-dispersible Fe3O4@usnic acid nanostructure against planktonic and sessile bacterial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai; Cotar, Ani Ioana; Andronescu, Ecaterina; Ficai, Anton; Ghitulica, Cristina Daniela; Grumezescu, Valentina; Vasile, Bogdan Stefan; Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen

    2013-01-01

    A new water-dispersible nanostructure based on magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) and usnic acid (UA) was prepared in a well-shaped spherical form by a precipitation method. Nanoparticles were well individualized and homogeneous in size. The presence of Fe 3 O 4 @UA was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The UA was entrapped in the magnetic nanoparticles during preparation and the amount of entrapped UA was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis. Fabricated nanostructures were tested on planktonic cells growth (minimal inhibitory concentration assay) and biofilm development on Gram-positive Staphylococcusaureus (S.aureus),Enterococcus faecalis (E.faecalis) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E.coli),Pseudomonasaeruginosa (P.aeruginosa) reference strains. Concerning the influence of Fe 3 O 4 @UA on the planktonic bacterial cells, the functionalized magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a significantly improved antimicrobial activity against E.faecalis and E.coli, as compared with the Fe 3 O 4 control. The UA incorporated into the magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a very significant inhibitory effect on the biofilm formed by the S.aureus and E.faecalis, on a wide range of concentrations, while in case of the Gram-negative microbial strains, the UA-loaded nanoparticles inhibited the E.coli biofilm development, only at high concentrations, while for P.aeruginosa biofilms, no inhibitory effect was observed. The obtained results demonstrate that the new water-dispersible Fe 3 O 4 @UA nanosystem, combining the advantages of the intrinsic antimicrobial features of the UA with the higher surface to volume ratio provided by the magnetic nanocarrier dispersible in water, exhibits efficient antimicrobial activity against planktonic and adherent cells, especially on Gram-positive strains

  5. Determination of antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus strains isolated from pigs and their genotypic characterization by method of amplification of DNA fragments surrounding rare restriction sites (ADSRRS fingerprinting).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowakiewicz, Aneta; Ziółkowska, Grażyna; Trościańczyk, Aleksandra; Zięba, Przemysław; Gnat, Sebastian

    2017-03-01

    In this study, we analysed phenotypic resistance profiles and their reflection in the genomic profiles of Enterococcus spp. strains isolated from pigs raised on different farms. Samples were collected from five pig farms (n=90 animals) and tested for Enterococcus. MICs of 12 antimicrobials were determined using the broth microdilution method, and epidemiological molecular analysis of strains belonging to selected species (faecalis, faecium and hirae) was performed using the ADSRRS-fingerprinting (amplification of DNA fragments surrounding rare restriction sites) method with a few modifications. The highest percentage of strains was resistant to tetracycline (73.4 %), erythromycin and tylosin (42.5 %) and rifampin (25.2 %), and a large number of strains exhibited high-level resistance to both kanamycin (25.2 %) and streptomycin (27.6 %). The strains of E. faecalis, E. faecium and E. hirae (n=184) revealed varied phenotypic resistance profiles, among which as many as seven met the criteria for multidrug resistance (30.4 % of strains tested). ADSRRS-fingerprinting analysis produced 17 genotypic profiles of individual strains which were correlated with their phenotypic resistance profiles. Only E. hirae strains susceptible to all of the chemotherapeutics tested had two different ADSRRS profiles. Moreover, eight animals were carriers of more than one genotype belonging to the same Enterococcus spp., mainly E. faecalis. Given the possibility of transmission to humans of the high-resistance/multidrug resistance enterococci and the significant role of pigs as food animals in this process, it is necessary to introduce a multilevel control strategy by carrying out research on the resistance and molecular characteristics of indicator bacterial strains isolated from animals on individual farms.

  6. Characterization of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from the cloaca of 'fancy breeds' and confined chickens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, S L; Poulsen, L L; Thorndahl, Lotte

    2017-01-01

    %, while only 44 and 13% in two fancy breeder flocks. A total of 204 isolates were characterized by pulsed-field-gel-electrophoresis (PFGE) where 40 strains were selected for multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). In all, 19 PFGE patterns and 14 STs were obtained. Four STs were identified in each of the two...... conditions were unrelated. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study has provided new information on opportunistic E. faecalis in confined non-industrial chicken. Knowledge of population diversity and prevalence compared to conventional production is important to accesses, if certain clonal lineages...

  7. The Effect of Smear Layer Removal on Endodontic Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    determined with a 0.02 taper #10 stainless steel FlexoFile (Dentsply Maillefer, Tulsa, OK) on all canals using a Root ZX (J Morita, Irvine,CA) apex...of adhesion based root canal filling materials in which smear plugs are removed to allow for the formation of a resin based hybrid layer have not...in eliminating intracanal enterococcus faecalis Biofilm . J Endod 2010; 36:894-98. 23. Chugal NM, Clive JM, Spangberg LSW. A prognostic model for

  8. In vitro antimicrobial activity of various medication preparations on E. faecalis in root canal dentin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynne, Richard E; Liewehr, Frederick R; West, Lesley A; Patton, William R; Buxton, Thomas B; McPherson, James C

    2003-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of several medication preparations in root canal dentin infected with Enterococcus faecalis. Roots of extracted bovine incisors were prepared to standardized cylindrical test specimens, 5 mm in height. The smear layer was removed and the samples were autoclaved and then incubated at 37 degrees C/5% CO2 for 24 h in brain-heart infusion (BHI) broth containing 7.0 x 10(4) colony forming units per ml of E. faecalis. The samples were washed in phosphate buffered saline and mounted to individual culture wells with sticky wax. Test medications were applied to fill the canal lumina; medication groups were: (a) sterile H2O (positive control); (b) a 10% mixture of 1.0 g Ca(OH)2 USP in 10 ml sterile H2O; (c) 10% Ca(OH)2 in 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (Peridex); (d) Peridex; and (e) uninoculated BHI (negative control). The samples were incubated at 37 degrees C/5% CO2 for 24 h. Dentin samples for quantitative microbiology were then obtained with consecutive sterile burs (ISO 029, 035, 042). All three experimental groups demonstrated significantly greater antimicrobial activity than the positive control (p effective than Peridex or 10% Ca(OH)2 in Peridex for the elimination of E. faecalis from dentin tubules.

  9. Effect of different diode laser wavelengths on root dentin decontamination infected with Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borges, Caroline Cristina; Estrela, Carlos; Lopes, Fabiane Carneiro; Palma-Dibb, Regina Guenka; Pecora, Jesus Djalma; De Araújo Estrela, Cyntia Rodrigues; Sousa-Neto, Manoel Damião de

    2017-11-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect and the ultrastructural alterations of diode laser with different wavelengths (808nm and 970nm) and its association with irrigating solutions (2.5% sodium hypochlorite and 2% chlorhexidine) in root dentin contaminated by a five days biofilm. Thirteen uniradicular teeth were sectioned into 100 dentin intraradicular blocks. Initially, the blocks were immersed for 5min in 17% EDTA and washed with distilled water for 5min, then samples were sterilized for 30min at 120°C. The dentin samples were inoculated with 0.1mL of E. faecalis suspension in 5mL BHI (Brain Heart Infusion) and incubated at 37°C for 5days. After contamination, the specimens were distributed into ten groups (n=10) according to surface treatment: GI - 5mL NaOCl 2.5%, GII - 5mL NaOCl 2.5%+808nm diode (0.1W for 20s), GIII - 5mL NaOCl 2.5%+970nm diode (0.5W for 4s), GIV - 808nm diode (0.1W for 20s), GV - 970nm diode (0.5W for 4s), GVI - CHX 2%, GVII - CHX 2%+808nm diode (0.1W for 20s), GVIII - CHX 2%+970nm diode (0.5W for 4s), GIX - positive control and GX - negative control. Bacterial growth was analyzed by turbidity and optical density of the growth medium by spectrophotometry (nm). Then, the specimens were processed for analysis ultrastructural changes of the dentin surface by SEM. The data was subject to the One-way ANOVA test. GI (77.5±12.1), GII (72.5±12.2), GIII (68.7±8.7), GV (68.3±8.7), GVI (62.0±5.5) and GVII (67.5±3.3) were statistically similar and statistically different from GIV (58.8±25.0), GVIII (59.2±4.0) and control groups (pdiode laser; erosion of the intertubular dentin in blocks submitted to 808nm diode laser irradiation; and an increased erosion of the intertubular dentin when 2.5% NaOCl was associated to the different wavelengths lasers. All the therapeutic protocols were able to reduce the bacterial contingent in dentin blocks, and the association of diode laser and solutions did not significantly improve

  10. Caracterización y purificación parcial de sustancias tipo bacteriocinas producidas por cepas de Enterococcus

    OpenAIRE

    Cardoso, María de las Mercedes Elisa; Cardoso, María de las Mercedes Elisa

    2012-01-01

    Las bacterias ácido lácticas, que gozan del status de “Generalmente Reconocidas Como Seguras”, otorgado por la Organización Mundial de la Salud, pueden producir sustancias antimicrobianas de naturaleza proteica, denominadas bacteriocinas, que actúan como bioconservantes alimentarios. Se investigó la capacidad bacteriocinogénica de la cepa de Enterococcus faecalis DBFIQ E24, aislada de leche cruda producida en la región santafesina. Esta cepa fue sensible a vancomicina y carente de capacidad...

  11. Flow cytometry as a rapid test for detection of penicillin resistance directly in bacterial cells in Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarzembowski, T; Wiśniewska, K; Józwik, A; Bryl, E; Witkowski, J

    2008-08-01

    We studied the usefulness of flow cytometry for detection of penicillin resistance in E. faecalis and S. aureus by direct binding of commercially available fluorescent penicillin, Bocillin FL, to cells obtained from culture. There were significantly lower percentages of fluorescent cells and median and mean fluorescence values per particle in penicillin-resistant than in penicillin-sensitive strains of both species observed. The method allows rapid detection of penicillin resistance in S. aureus and E. faecalis. The results encourage further investigations on the detection of antibiotic resistance in bacteria using flow cytometry.

  12. Comparative analysis on antibiotic resistance characteristics of Listeria spp. and Enterococcus spp. isolated from laying hens and eggs in conventional and organic keeping systems in Bavaria, Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwaiger, K; Schmied, E-M V; Bauer, J

    2010-05-01

    By investigating the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance characteristics of Gram-positive bacteria from organic and conventional keeping systems of laying hens, it was to be determined to what extent these properties are influenced by the different systems. For this purpose, a total of 799 cloacal swabs and 800 egg samples were examined. Prevalences for all selected bacteria from cloacal swabs were much the same for both organic and caged birds: Listeria spp.1.3%[org] versus 1.6%[con]; Enterococcus spp. 95.5%[org] versus 97.5%[con]. Egg contents and eggshells were generally contaminated to a lesser extent, primarily with Enterococcus spp. Listeria isolates were susceptible to almost all tested antibiotics, only three Listeria innocua from conventional keepings were resistant to clindamycin; one isolate additionally to imipenem. High percentages of Enterococcus faecalis were resistant to doxycycline and macrolides. Enterococcus faecium proved to have high resistance rates to clindamycin, fosfomycin and erythromycin; 9.1% were even resistant to the reserve antibiotic synercid. Further, Enterococcus spp. showed higher resistance rates to doxycycline, erythromycin, fosfomycin and rifampicin. No glycopeptide resistant enterococci were detected. A correlation between keeping system and resistance/susceptibility rates could be demonstrated. In detail, E. faecalis from organic laying hen husbandries showed significant lower resistance prevalences to tylosin, streptomycin and doxycycline; susceptibility rates were higher for enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Rifampicin and imipenem were more effective in isolates from conventional keepings (P < 0.05). The amounts of resistant isolates of the Enterococcus raffinosus from organic farms were significantly lower, the amounts of sensitive isolates were significantly higher than from conventional farms concerning eight antibiotics (P < 0.05). When comparing the susceptibility/resistance rates, as well as the mean minimum

  13. KR-12-a5 is a non-cytotoxic agent with potent antimicrobial effects against oral pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caiaffa, Karina Sampaio; Massunari, Loiane; Danelon, Marcelle; Abuna, Gabriel Flores; Bedran, Telma Blanca Lombardo; Santos-Filho, Norival Alves; Spolidorio, Denise Madalena Palomari; Vizoto, Natalia Leal; Cilli, Eduardo Maffud; Duque, Cristiane

    2017-11-01

    This study evaluated the cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity of analogs of cationic peptides against microorganisms associated with endodontic infections. L-929 fibroblasts were exposed to LL-37, KR-12-a5 and hBD-3-1C V and chlorhexidine (CHX, control), and cell metabolism was evaluated with MTT. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) of the peptides and CHX were determined against oral pathogens associated with endodontic infections. Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus mutans biofilms were cultivated in bovine dentin blocks, exposed to different concentrations of the most efficient antimicrobial peptide and analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. CHX and peptides affected the metabolism of L-929 at concentrations > 31.25 and 500 μg ml -1 , respectively. Among the peptides, KR-12-a5 inhibited growth of both the microorganisms tested with the lowest MIC/MBC/MFC values. In addition, KR-12-a5 significantly reduced E. faecalis and S. mutans biofilms inside dentin tubules. In conclusion, KR-12-a5 is a non-cytotoxic agent with potent antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity against oral pathogens associated with endodontic infections.

  14. In vitro activity of the new water-dispersible Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@usnic acid nanostructure against planktonic and sessile bacterial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai, E-mail: grumezescu@yahoo.com [Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Department of Science and Engineering of Oxidic Materials and Nanomaterials (Romania); Cotar, Ani Ioana [Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Department of Microbiology Immunology (Romania); Andronescu, Ecaterina; Ficai, Anton; Ghitulica, Cristina Daniela; Grumezescu, Valentina; Vasile, Bogdan Stefan [Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Department of Science and Engineering of Oxidic Materials and Nanomaterials (Romania); Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen [Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Department of Microbiology Immunology (Romania)

    2013-07-15

    A new water-dispersible nanostructure based on magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) and usnic acid (UA) was prepared in a well-shaped spherical form by a precipitation method. Nanoparticles were well individualized and homogeneous in size. The presence of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@UA was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The UA was entrapped in the magnetic nanoparticles during preparation and the amount of entrapped UA was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis. Fabricated nanostructures were tested on planktonic cells growth (minimal inhibitory concentration assay) and biofilm development on Gram-positive Staphylococcusaureus (S.aureus),Enterococcus faecalis (E.faecalis) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E.coli),Pseudomonasaeruginosa (P.aeruginosa) reference strains. Concerning the influence of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@UA on the planktonic bacterial cells, the functionalized magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a significantly improved antimicrobial activity against E.faecalis and E.coli, as compared with the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} control. The UA incorporated into the magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a very significant inhibitory effect on the biofilm formed by the S.aureus and E.faecalis, on a wide range of concentrations, while in case of the Gram-negative microbial strains, the UA-loaded nanoparticles inhibited the E.coli biofilm development, only at high concentrations, while for P.aeruginosa biofilms, no inhibitory effect was observed. The obtained results demonstrate that the new water-dispersible Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@UA nanosystem, combining the advantages of the intrinsic antimicrobial features of the UA with the higher surface to volume ratio provided by the magnetic nanocarrier dispersible in water, exhibits efficient antimicrobial activity against planktonic and adherent cells, especially on Gram-positive strains.

  15. Assessing outcomes of adult oncology patients treated with linezolid versus daptomycin for bacteremia due to vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Khilna; Kabir, Rubiya; Ahmad, Samrah; Allen, Steven L

    2016-04-01

    The incidence and severity of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus blood stream infections continue to rise and is a significant burden in the healthcare setting. Literature thus far is minimal regarding treatment outcomes in patients with malignancy and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus bacteremia. Appropriate antibiotic selection is vital to treatment success due to high rates of resistance, limited antimicrobials and mortality in this patient population. We conducted this study to determine whether treatment outcomes differed between cancer patients treated with linezolid and those treated with daptomycin for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus bacteremia. This single-center, retrospective study included adult patients hospitalized on the oncology service with documented vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium or Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia who received at least 48 h of either linezolid or daptomycin as primary treatment. A total of 65 patients were included in the analysis. Thirty-two patients received daptomycin as primary treatment, and 33 patients received linezolid as primary treatment. Twenty-six (76.5%) patients in the linezolid cohort versus 22 (71%) patients in the daptomycin cohort achieved microbiological cure (p = 0.6141). Median length of stay in days (30 vs. 42, p = 0.0714) and mortality (7/32 (20.6%) vs. 8/33 (25.8%), p = 0.6180) were also similar between the linezolid and daptomycin treated patients, respectively. No differences in microbiological cure, length of stay or mortality were identified between the groups. This study suggests that linezolid and daptomycin are each reasonable options for treating vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus bacteremia in oncology patients. Further prospective, randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the optimal treatment for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus bacteremia in this patient population. © The Author(s) 2014.

  16. RelA Mutant Enterococcus faecium with Multiantibiotic Tolerance Arising in an Immunocompromised Host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honsa, Erin S; Cooper, Vaughn S; Mhaissen, Mohammed N; Frank, Matthew; Shaker, Jessica; Iverson, Amy; Rubnitz, Jeffrey; Hayden, Randall T; Lee, Richard E; Rock, Charles O; Tuomanen, Elaine I; Wolf, Joshua; Rosch, Jason W

    2017-01-03

    Serious bacterial infections in immunocompromised patients require highly effective antibacterial therapy for cure, and thus, this setting may reveal novel mechanisms by which bacteria circumvent antibiotics in the absence of immune pressure. Here, an infant with leukemia developed vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) bacteremia that persisted for 26 days despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. Sequencing of 22 consecutive VRE isolates identified the emergence of a single missense mutation (L152F) in relA, which constitutively activated the stringent response, resulting in elevated baseline levels of the alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp). Although the mutant remained susceptible to both linezolid and daptomycin in clinical MIC testing and during planktonic growth, it demonstrated tolerance to high doses of both antibiotics when growing in a biofilm. This biofilm-specific gain in resistance was reflected in the broad shift in transcript levels caused by the mutation. Only an experimental biofilm-targeting ClpP-activating antibiotic was able to kill the mutant strain in an established biofilm. The relA mutation was associated with a fitness trade-off, forming smaller and less-well-populated biofilms on biological surfaces. We conclude that clinically relevant relA mutations can emerge during prolonged VRE infection, causing baseline activation of the stringent response, subsequent antibiotic tolerance, and delayed eradication in an immunocompromised state. The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens is a major challenge currently facing the medical community. Such pathogens are of particular importance in immunocompromised patients as these individuals may favor emergence of novel resistance determinants due to lack of innate immune defenses and intensive antibiotic exposure. During the course of chemotherapy, a patient developed prolonged bacteremia with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium that failed to clear

  17. Processing of the major autolysin of E. faecalis, AtlA, by the zinc-metalloprotease, GelE, impacts AtlA septal localization and cell separation

    OpenAIRE

    Stinemetz, Emily K.; Gao, Peng; Pinkston, Kenneth L.; Montealegre, Maria Camila; Murray, Barbara E.; Harvey, Barrett R.

    2017-01-01

    AtlA is the major peptidoglycan hydrolase of Enterococcus faecalis involved in cell division and cellular autolysis. The secreted zinc metalloprotease, gelatinase (GelE), has been identified as an important regulator of cellular function through post-translational modification of protein substrates. AtlA is a known target of GelE, and their interplay has been proposed to regulate AtlA function. To study the protease-mediated post-translational modification of AtlA, monoclonal antibodies were ...

  18. Avaliação de atividades biológicas dos extratos de Rosmarinus officinalis L. (alecrim) e Thymus vulgaris L. (tomilho)

    OpenAIRE

    Oliveira, Jonatas Rafael de [UNESP

    2016-01-01

    No presente estudo foram avaliadas algumas atividades biológicas dos extratos de R. officinalis L. (alecrim) e T. vulgaris L. (tomilho), verificando: I. Atividade antimicrobiana sobre biofilmes monomicrobianos de Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans e Pseudomonas aeruginosa e associações de C. albicans com cada uma destas bactérias, após determinação da concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) e concentração microbicida mínima (CMM) sobre culturas p...

  19. Depth-dependent inactivation of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis in soil after manure application and simulated rainfall

    Science.gov (United States)

    E.coli and Enterococcus serve as important water quality indicator organisms. Rainfall action on manured fields and pastures releases these organisms into soil with infiltrating water. They can then be released back to runoff during subsequent rainfall or irrigation events as soil solution interacts...

  20. Colonización por cepas de Enterococcus spp. VanA en pacientes del hospital universitario Manuel Núñez Tovar, Maturín, Venezuela | Colonization by strains of Enterococcus spp. VanA in patients of the university hospital Manuel Núñez Tovar, Maturín, Venezuela

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorena Abadia-Patiño

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available En el Hospital Universitario Manuel Núñez Tovar de Maturín (HUMNT, estado Monagas, se aislaron tres cepas de Enterococcus faecium VanA en la unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI y una cepa de E. faecalis VanA en la unidad de hemodiálisis (HD. La prevalencia de colonización de Enterococcus vancomicino resistentes (EVR fenotipo VanA durante el período de estudio fue de 3% en los pacientes de HD y 9% en los de UCI. Los factores de riesgo para los pacientes fueron el uso indiscriminado de antibióticos como vancomicina y cefalosporinas de tercera generación y el tiempo de permanencia en UCI. Existe alto riesgo de infecciones endógenas por cepas EVR en el HUMNT.

  1. Avaliação de um sistema automatizado na identificação de espécies de Enterococcus Evaluation of an automated system for the identification of Enterococci

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Alves d'Azevedo

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available O uso de métodos automatizados tem freqüentemente levado a falhas na identificação do gênero Enterococcus em laboratórios de microbiologia clínica. Neste estudo foi avaliada a utilização de um sistema automatizado Vitek (bioMérieux em dois laboratórios de microbiologia clínica para identificação de diferentes espécies de enterococos. Os resultados foram comparados com os testes fisiológicos convencionais. As amostras (80 foram inoculadas em testes bioquímicos convencionais e no cartão Vitek GPI. No geral, a concordância entre os dois métodos foi de 83,7% (67/80. Entre as amostras de E. faecalis, o sistema Vitek identificou corretamente 35/40 (87,5% e entre os E. faecium, a concordância foi 12/14 (85,7%. Em 20/26 amostras (76,9% pertencentes a espécies não-E. faecalis e não-E. faecium, o sistema chegou à identificação correta. Os resultados do presente estudo mostram que o sistema Vitek necessita de melhorias para a identificação de enterococos, especialmente diante de espécies menos freqüentes.Automated systems may present problems in the identification of members of the genus Enterococcus in clinical laboratories. Having conventional physiological tests as the reference method, we evaluated the use of an automated system (VITEK - bioMérieux in the identification of 80 isolates belonging to different species of Enterococcus. The general agreement between results obtained by the conventional method and by the Vitek GPI card was 83.7% (67/80. Among isolates of E. faecalis and E faecium we observed that the automated system correctly identified 35/40 (87.5% and 12/14 (85.7% of the strains, respectively. Among isolates belonging to species which are neither E. faecalis, nor E. faecium, it was observed an agreement of 20/26 (76.9%. Results point to the need of improvement in the automated systems to identify enterococci. Special consideration must be taken regarding less frequently isolated species.

  2. Emergence of ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in Danish hospitals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lester, Camilla H; Sandvang, Dorthe; Olsen, Stefan

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates are reported in increasing numbers in many European hospitals. The clonal complex 17 (CC17) characterized by ampicillin resistance has been associated with nosocomial E. faecium outbreaks and infections in five continents. The aim...... in the number of infections caused by enterococci was observed from 2002 through 2006. The increase was mainly caused by E. faecium isolates, which tripled, whereas the number of E. faecalis isolates increased by only 23% during the same period. There was also a significant increase in the number of ampicillin......-resistant E. faecium isolates. MLST showed that 98% of the tested ampicillin-resistant E. faecium isolates belonged to CC17. PFGE showed eight different clusters and we found indications of clonal spread within the hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Ampicillin-resistant E. faecium isolates have increased in frequency...

  3. Enterocin C, a class IIb bacteriocin produced by E. faecalis C901, a strain isolated from human colostrum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado-Barragán, Antonio; Caballero-Guerrero, Belén; Jiménez, Esther; Jiménez-Díaz, Rufino; Ruiz-Barba, José L; Rodríguez, Juan M

    2009-07-31

    Enterocin C (EntC), a class IIb bacteriocin was purified from culture supernatants of Enterococcus faecalis C901, a strain isolated from human colostrum. Enterocin C consists of two distinct peptides, named EntC1 and EntC2, whose complementary action is required for full antimicrobial activity. The structural genes entC1 and entC2 encoding enterocins EntC1 and EntC2, respectively, and that encoding the putative immunity protein (EntCI) are located in the 9-kb plasmid pEntC, harboured by E. faecalis C901. The N-terminal sequence of both antimicrobial peptides revealed that EntC1 (4284 Da) is identical to Ent1071A, one of the two peptides that form enterocin 1071 (Ent1071), a bacteriocin produced by E. faecalis BFE 1071. In contrast, EntC2 (3867 Da) presents the non-polar alanine residue at position 17 (Ala(17)) instead of the polar threonine residue (Thr(17)) in Ent1071B, the second peptide constituting Ent1071. In spite of peptide similarities, EntC differs from Ent1071 in major aspects, including the complementary activity among its constitutive peptides and its wider inhibitory spectrum of activity. Different amphiphilic alpha-helical conformations between EntC2 and Ent1071B could explain both, acquired complementary activity and increased antimicrobial spectrum.

  4. Dispersion of the vancomycin resistance genes vanA and vanC of Enterococcus isolated from Nile tilapia on retail sale: A public health hazard

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamelia Mahmoud Osman

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Although normally regarded harmless commensals, enterococci may cause a range of different infections in humans, including urinary tract infections, sepsis, and endocarditis. The acquisition of vancomycin resistance by enterococci (VRE has seriously affected the treatment and infection control of these organisms. VRE are frequently resistant to all antibiotics that are effective treatment for vancomycin-susceptible enterococci, which leaves clinicians treating VRE infections with limited therapeutic options. With VRE emerging as a global threat to public health, we aimed to isolate, identify enterococci species from tilapia and their resistance to van-mediated glycopeptide (vanA and vanC as well as the presence of enterococcal surface protein (esp using conventional and molecular methods. The cultural, biochemical (Vitek 2 system and PCR results revealed eight Enterococcus isolates from the 80 fish samples (10% to be further identified as E. faecalis (6/8, 75% and E gallinarum (2/8, 25%. Intraperitoneal injection of healthy Nile tilapia with the eight Enterococcus isolates caused significant morbidity (70% within 3 days and 100% mortality at 6 days post injection with general signs of septicemia. All of the eight Enterococcus isolates were found to be resistant to tetracycline. The 6/6 E. faecalis isolates were susceptible for penicillin, nitrofurantoin, gentamicin, and streptomycin. On the other hand 5/6 were susceptible for ampicillin, vancomycin, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin. The two isolates of E. gallinarum were sensitive to rifampicin and ciprofloxacin and resistant to vancomycin, chloramphenicol and erythromycin. Molecular characterization proved that they all presented the prototypic vanC element. On the whole, one of the two vancomycin resistance gene was present in 3/8 of the enterococci isolates, while the esp virulence gene was present in 1/8 of the enterococci isolates. The results in this study emphasise the potential role

  5. Comparative evaluation of rotary ProTaper, Profile, and conventional stepback technique on reduction in Enterococcus faecalis colony-forming units and vertical root fracture resistance of root canals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singla, Mamta; Aggarwal, Vivek; Logani, Ajay; Shah, Naseem

    2010-03-01

    The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of various root canal instrumentation techniques with different instrument tapers on cleaning efficacy and resultant vertical root fracture (VRF) strength of the roots. Fifty human mandibular first premolar roots were enlarged to ISO size 20, inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis [ATCC2912] for 72 hours and divided into 5 groups: group I: prepared with .02 taper hand instruments ISO size 40; group II: Profile .04 taper size 40; group III: Profile .06 taper size 40; group IV: ProTaper size F4; and group V (control group) further divided into: Va: with bacterial inoculation and no mechanical instrumentation; and Group Vb: neither bacterial inoculation nor mechanical instrumentation. Cleaning efficacy was evaluated in terms of reduction of colony forming units (CFUs). The VRF strength was evaluated using D11 spreader as wedge in an Instron testing machine. Root canals instrumented with ProTaper and 6% Profile instruments showed maximum reduction in CFUs, with statistically insignificant difference between them. The VRF resistance decreased in all instrumented groups. The difference of VRF between 2% and 4% taper Profile groups was statistically insignificant (P = .195). One-way analysis of variance showed that canals instrumented with ProTaper F4 showed maximum reduction in VRF resistance compared with control uninstrumented group. Profile 6% taper instruments offer the advantage of maximum debridement without significant reduction in root fracture resistance. Copyright 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Enterococcus and Streptococcus spp. associated with chronic and self-medicated urinary tract infections in Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poulsen, Louise Ladefoged; Bisgaard, Magne; Son, Nguyen Thai; Trung, Nguyen Vu; An, Hoang Manh; Dalsgaard, Anders

    2012-11-23

    Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common infections among women worldwide. E. coli often causes more than 75% of acute uncomplicated UTI, however, little is known about how recurrent UTIs and indiscriminate use of antimicrobials affect the aetiology of UTIs. This study aimed to establish the aetiology of UTI in a population of recurrent and self-medicated patients referred from pharmacies to a hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam and to describe genotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility of the associated bacterial pathogens. The aetiology of bacterial pathogens associated with UTI (defined as ≥ 104 CFU/ml urine) was established by phenotypic and molecular methods. Enterococcus faecalis isolates were typed by Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Urine samples from 276 patients suffering symptoms of urinary tract infection were collected and cultured on Flexicult agar® allowing for detection of the most common urine pathogens. Patients were interviewed about underlying diseases, duration of symptoms, earlier episodes of UTI, number of episodes diagnosed by doctors and treatment in relation to UTI. All tentative E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates were identified to species level by PCR, 16S rRNA and partial sequencing of the groEL gene. E. faecalis isolates were further characterized by Multi Locus Sequence Typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Mean age of 49 patients was 48 yrs (range was 11-86 yrs) and included 94% women. On average, patients reported to have suffered from UTI for 348 days (range 3 days-10 years, and experienced 2.7 UTIs during the previous year). Cephalosporins were reported the second drug of choice in treatment of UTI at the hospital. E. faecalis (55.1%), E. coli (12.2%) and Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus (8.2%) were main bacterial pathogens. MIC testing of E. faecalis showed susceptibility to ampicillin, penicillin and

  7. Functional Analysis of AtlA, the Major N-Acetylglucosaminidase of Enterococcus faecalis▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckert, Catherine; Lecerf, Maxime; Dubost, Lionel; Arthur, Michel; Mesnage, Stéphane

    2006-01-01

    The major peptidoglycan hydrolase of Enterococcus faecalis, AtlA, has been identified, but its enzyme activity remains unknown. We have used tandem mass spectrometry analysis of peptidoglycan hydrolysis products obtained using the purified protein to show that AtlA is an N-acetylglucosaminidase. To gain insight into the regulation of its enzyme activity, the three domains of AtlA were purified alone or in combination following expression of truncated forms of the atlA gene in Escherichia coli or partial digestion of AtlA by proteinase K. The central domain of AtlA was catalytically active, but its activity was more than two orders of magnitude lower than that of the complete protein. Partial proteolysis of AtlA was detected in vivo: zymograms of E. faecalis extracts revealed two catalytically active protein bands of 62 and 72 kDa that were both absent in extracts from an atlA null mutant. Limited digestion of AtlA by proteinase K in vitro suggested that the proteolytic cleavage of AtlA in E. faecalis extracts corresponds to the truncation of the N-terminal domain, which is rich in threonine and glutamic acid residues. We show that the truncation of the N-terminal domain from recombinant AtlA has no impact on enzyme activity. The C-terminal domain of the protein, which contains six LysM modules bound to highly purified peptidoglycan, was required for optimal enzyme activity. These data indicate that AtlA is not produced as a proenzyme and that control of the AtlA glucosaminidase activity is likely to occur at the level of LysM-mediated binding to peptidoglycan. PMID:17041059

  8. Initial development and structure of biofilms on microbial fuel cell anodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keller Jürg

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microbial fuel cells (MFCs rely on electrochemically active bacteria to capture the chemical energy contained in organics and convert it to electrical energy. Bacteria develop biofilms on the MFC electrodes, allowing considerable conversion capacity and opportunities for extracellular electron transfer (EET. The present knowledge on EET is centred around two Gram-negative models, i.e. Shewanella and Geobacter species, as it is believed that Gram-positives cannot perform EET by themselves as the Gram-negatives can. To understand how bacteria form biofilms within MFCs and how their development, structure and viability affects electron transfer, we performed pure and co-culture experiments. Results Biofilm viability was maintained highest nearer the anode during closed circuit operation (current flowing, in contrast to when the anode was in open circuit (soluble electron acceptor where viability was highest on top of the biofilm, furthest from the anode. Closed circuit anode Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were considerably thinner compared to the open circuit anode (30 ± 3 μm and 42 ± 3 μm respectively, which is likely due to the higher energetic gain of soluble electron acceptors used. The two Gram-positive bacteria used only provided a fraction of current produced by the Gram-negative organisms. Power output of co-cultures Gram-positive Enterococcus faecium and either Gram-negative organisms, increased by 30-70% relative to the single cultures. Over time the co-culture biofilms segregated, in particular, Pseudomonas aeruginosa creating towers piercing through a thin, uniform layer of Enterococcus faecium. P. aeruginosa and E. faecium together generated a current of 1.8 ± 0.4 mA while alone they produced 0.9 ± 0.01 and 0.2 ± 0.05 mA respectively. Conclusion We postulate that this segregation may be an essential difference in strategy for electron transfer and substrate capture between the Gram-negative and the Gram

  9. Antimicrobial resistance and virulence profile of enterococci isolated from poultry and cattle sources in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngbede, Emmanuel Ochefije; Raji, Mashood Abiola; Kwanashie, Clara Nna; Kwaga, Jacob Kwada Paghi

    2017-03-01

    This study investigated the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance and virulence of Enterococcus from poultry and cattle farms. Three hundred and ninety samples: cloacal/rectal swabs (n = 260) and manure (n = 130] were processed for recovery of Enterococcus species. Standard bacteriological methods were used to isolate, identify and characterize Enterococcus species for antimicrobial susceptibility and expression of virulence traits. Detection of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes was carried out by polymerase chain reaction. Enterococcus was recovered from 167 (42.8%) of the 390 samples tested with a predominance of Enterococcus faecium (27.7%). Other species detected were Enterococcus gallinarum, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus hirae, Enterococcus raffinosus, Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Enterococcus mundtii and Enterococcus durans. All the isolates tested were susceptible to vancomycin, but resistance to tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin and gentamicin was also observed among 61.0, 61.0, 45.1 and 32.7% of the isolates, respectively. Sixty (53.1%) of the isolates were multidrug resistant presenting as 24 different resistance patterns with resistance to gentamicin-erythromycin-streptomycin-tetracycline (CN-ERY-STR-TET) being the most common (n = 11) pattern. In addition to expression of virulence traits (haemolysin, gelatinase, biofilm production), antibiotic resistance (tetK, tetL, tetM, tetO and ermB) and virulence (asa1, gelE, cylA) genes were detected among the isolates. Also, in vitro transfer of resistance determinants was observed among 75% of the isolates tested. Our data revealed poultry, cattle and manure in this area are hosts to varying Enterococcus species harbouring virulence and resistance determinants that can be transferred to other organisms and also are important for causing nosocomial infection.

  10. Comparison of the loads and antibiotic-resistance profiles of Enterococcus species from conventional and organic chicken carcasses in South Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Y-J; Park, J-H; Seo, K-H

    2018-01-01

    Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in poultry meat are a threat to public health. In this study, we compared the Enterococcus spp. loads and antibiotic-resistance profiles between carcasses of conventionally and organically raised chickens. A total of 144 chicken carcasses (72 conventional and 72 organic) was collected from local retail markets in Seoul, South Korea. Overall, 77.7% (112 of 144; 75% conventional and 80% organic) of chicken carcasses were positive for Enterococcus. The mean loads of Enterococcus spp. were greater in conventional chicken carcasses, at 2.9 ± 0.4 log CFU/mL, than those in organic chicken carcasses, at 1.78 ± 0.3 log CFU/mL (p organic chicken carcasses) was randomly selected for further analysis. The predominant species was Enterococcus faecalis in both conventional and organic chicken carcasses (57.7 and 76.9%, respectively; P > 0.05). Rates of resistance to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, which are used in veterinary medicine in South Korea, were significantly higher in conventional chicken carcasses than in organic chicken carcasses. However, we found no difference between the rates of resistance to antibiotics such as vancomycin and tigecycline, which were not registered for use in veterinary medicine in South Korea, of Enterococcus isolates from conventional and organic chicken carcasses. In addition, although multidrug resistant isolates were obtained from both types of chicken samples, the prevalence of samples positive for Enterococcus was significantly higher in conventional chicken carcasses than in organic chicken carcasses (P organic chicken carcasses. A high level of gentamicin resistance was observed in isolates from not only conventional (5.8%) but also organic chicken (1.9%) carcasses, with no significant difference in rates between them (P > 0.05). Despite this, our results suggest that organic food certification is effective in reducing fecal contamination and the burden of antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus spp. in

  11. A Sub-microsecond Pulsed Plasma Jet for Endodontic Biofilm Disinfection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Chunqi; Schaudinn, Christoph; Jaramillo, David E.; Gundersen, Martin A.; Costerton, J. William

    A pulsed, tapered cylindrical plasma jet, several centimeter long and bovine dentins. Resultant colony-forming unit counts were associated with changes in bacterial cell morphology observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following the treatment and control. Treatment of dentin discs cultivated with E. faecalis monolayer biofilms with the plasma (average power ≈ 1 W) for 5 min resulted in 92.4% kill (P technology is a potential ­alternative or supplement to existing protocols for root canal disinfection.

  12. Characterization of Antimicrobial Substances Produced by Enterococcus faecalis MRR 10-3, Isolated from the Uropygial Gland of the Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín-Platero, Antonio M.; Valdivia, Eva; Ruíz-Rodríguez, Magdalena; Soler, Juan J.; Martín-Vivaldi, Manuel; Maqueda, Mercedes; Martínez-Bueno, Manuel

    2006-01-01

    The uropygial gland (preen gland) is a holocrine secretory gland situated at the base of the tail in birds which produces a hydrophobic fatty secretion. In certain birds, such as the hoopoe, Upupa epops, the composition of this secretion is influenced by both seasonal and sexual factors, becoming darker and more malodorous in females and in their nestlings during the nesting phase. The secretion is spread throughout the plumage when the bird preens itself, leaving its feathers flexible and waterproof. It is also thought to play a role in defending the bird against predators and parasites. We have isolated from the uropygial secretion of a nestling a bacterium that grows in monospecific culture which we have identified unambiguously by phenotypic and genotypic means as Enterococcus faecalis. The strain in question produces antibacterial substances that are active against all gram-positive bacteria assayed and also against some gram-negative strains. Its peptide nature identifies it as a bacteriocin within the group known as enterocins. Two peptides were purified to homogeneity (MR10A and MR10B), and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (mass spectrometry) analysis showed masses of 5201.58 and 5207.7 Da, respectively. Amino acid sequencing of both peptides revealed high similarity with enterocin L50A and L50B (L. M. Cintas, P. Casaus, H. Holo, P. E. Hernández, I. F. Nes, and L. S. Håvarstein, J. Bacteriol. 180:1988-1994, 1998). PCR amplification of total DNA from strain MRR10-3 with primers for the L50A/B structural genes and sequencing of the amplified fragment revealed almost identical sequences, except for a single conservative change in residue 38 (Glu→Asp) in MR10A and two changes in residues 9 (Thr→Ala) and 15 (Leu→Phe) in MR10B. This is the first time that the production of bacteriocins by a bacterium isolated from the uropygial gland has been described. The production of these broad-spectrum antibacterial substances by an

  13. Characterization of antimicrobial substances produced by Enterococcus faecalis MRR 10-3, isolated from the uropygial gland of the hoopoe (Upupa epops).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín-Platero, Antonio M; Valdivia, Eva; Ruíz-Rodríguez, Magdalena; Soler, Juan J; Martín-Vivaldi, Manuel; Maqueda, Mercedes; Martínez-Bueno, Manuel

    2006-06-01

    The uropygial gland (preen gland) is a holocrine secretory gland situated at the base of the tail in birds which produces a hydrophobic fatty secretion. In certain birds, such as the hoopoe, Upupa epops, the composition of this secretion is influenced by both seasonal and sexual factors, becoming darker and more malodorous in females and in their nestlings during the nesting phase. The secretion is spread throughout the plumage when the bird preens itself, leaving its feathers flexible and waterproof. It is also thought to play a role in defending the bird against predators and parasites. We have isolated from the uropygial secretion of a nestling a bacterium that grows in monospecific culture which we have identified unambiguously by phenotypic and genotypic means as Enterococcus faecalis. The strain in question produces antibacterial substances that are active against all gram-positive bacteria assayed and also against some gram-negative strains. Its peptide nature identifies it as a bacteriocin within the group known as enterocins. Two peptides were purified to homogeneity (MR10A and MR10B), and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (mass spectrometry) analysis showed masses of 5201.58 and 5207.7 Da, respectively. Amino acid sequencing of both peptides revealed high similarity with enterocin L50A and L50B (L. M. Cintas, P. Casaus, H. Holo, P. E. Hernández, I. F. Nes, and L. S. Håvarstein, J. Bacteriol. 180:1988-1994, 1998). PCR amplification of total DNA from strain MRR10-3 with primers for the L50A/B structural genes and sequencing of the amplified fragment revealed almost identical sequences, except for a single conservative change in residue 38 (Glu-->Asp) in MR10A and two changes in residues 9 (Thr-->Ala) and 15 (Leu-->Phe) in MR10B. This is the first time that the production of bacteriocins by a bacterium isolated from the uropygial gland has been described. The production of these broad-spectrum antibacterial substances by an

  14. Pyrosequencing-based comparative genome analysis of the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecium and identification of a large transferable pathogenicity island

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bonten Marc JM

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecium is an important cause of nosocomial infections in immunocompromized patients. Results We present a pyrosequencing-based comparative genome analysis of seven E. faecium strains that were isolated from various sources. In the genomes of clinical isolates several antibiotic resistance genes were identified, including the vanA transposon that confers resistance to vancomycin in two strains. A functional comparison between E. faecium and the related opportunistic pathogen E. faecalis based on differences in the presence of protein families, revealed divergence in plant carbohydrate metabolic pathways and oxidative stress defense mechanisms. The E. faecium pan-genome was estimated to be essentially unlimited in size, indicating that E. faecium can efficiently acquire and incorporate exogenous DNA in its gene pool. One of the most prominent sources of genomic diversity consists of bacteriophages that have integrated in the genome. The CRISPR-Cas system, which contributes to immunity against bacteriophage infection in prokaryotes, is not present in the sequenced strains. Three sequenced isolates carry the esp gene, which is involved in urinary tract infections and biofilm formation. The esp gene is located on a large pathogenicity island (PAI, which is between 64 and 104 kb in size. Conjugation experiments showed that the entire esp PAI can be transferred horizontally and inserts in a site-specific manner. Conclusions Genes involved in environmental persistence, colonization and virulence can easily be aquired by E. faecium. This will make the development of successful treatment strategies targeted against this organism a challenge for years to come.

  15. How proteases from Enterococcus faecalis contribute to its resistance to short alpha-helical antimicrobial peptides

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Nešuta, Ondřej; Buděšínský, Miloš; Hadravová, Romana; Monincová, Lenka; Humpolíčková, Jana; Čeřovský, Václav

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 75, č. 7 (2017), č. článku ftx091. ISSN 2049-632X R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TA04010638; GA MZd(CZ) NV16-27726A Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : antimicrobial peptides * biofilm * C-terminal deamidation * gelatinase * protease Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology Impact factor: 2.335, year: 2016

  16. Significance and survival of Enterococci during the house fly development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Anuradha; Akhtar, Mastura; Holderman, Chris; Zurek, Ludek

    2014-01-01

    House flies are among the most important nonbiting insect pests of medical and veterinary importance. Larvae develop in decaying organic substrates and their survival strictly depends on an active microbial community. House flies have been implicated in the ecology and transmission of enterococci, including multi-antibiotic-resistant and virulent strains of Enterococcus faecalis. In this study, eight American Type Culture Collection type strains of enterococci including Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus hirae, Enterococcus mundtii, Enterococcus gallinarum, Enterococcusfaecalis, and Enterococcusfaecium were evaluated for their significance in the development of house flies from eggs to adults in bacterial feeding assays. Furthermore, the bacterial colonization of the gut of teneral flies as well as the importance of several virulence traits of E. faecalis in larval mortality was assessed. Overall survival of house flies (egg to adult) was significantly higher when grown with typically nonpathogenic enterococcal species such as E. hirae (76.0% survival), E. durans (64.0%), and E. avium (64.0%) compared with that with clinically important species E. faecalis (24.0%) and E. faecium (36.0%). However, no significant differences in survival of house fly larvae were detected when grown with E. faecalis strains carrying various virulence traits, including isogenic mutants of the human clinical isolate E. faecalis V583 with in-frame deletions of gelatinase, serine protease, and capsular polysaccharide serotype C. Enterococci were commonly detected in fly puparia (range: 75-100%; concentration: 103-105 CFU/puparium);however, the prevalence of enterococci in teneral flies varied greatly: from 25.0 (E. casseliflavus) to 89.5% (E. hirae). In conclusion, depending on the species, enterococci variably support house fly larval development and colonize the gut of teneral adults. The human pathogenic species, E. faecalis and E. faecium

  17. Biofilm forming ability of bacteria isolated from necrotic roots canals of teeth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alwan, Merriam Ghadhanfar; Usup, Gires; Heng, Lee Yook; Ahmad, Asmat

    2018-04-01

    The growth of microbes in biofilms are associated with repeated and chronic human infections and are extremely resistant to antimicrobial agents. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity of bacteria from necrotic roots canals of teeth and to detect their biofilm formation ability. A total of 42 bacterial isolates were isolated and identified as belonging to 11 genera. These are Enterococcus sp. (21.4%) followed by Streptococcus sp. (16.8%), Bacillus sp. (11.9%), Peptostreptococcus sp. (9.5%), Staphylococcus sp. (9.5%), Bacteroides sp. (7.1%), Clostridium sp. (7.1%), Actinomyces sp. (7.1%), Fusobacterium sp. (4.76%), Provotella sp. (2.4%) and Chromobacterium sp. (2.4%). Three screening methods for biofilm forming ability were used. Congo Red Agar method (CRA), Tube method (TM) and Microtitre Plate (MTP). From the results, MTP method is a more reliable and quantitative method for the screening and detection of microorganism's ability to form biofilm. This method can be recommended and suggested as a general screening method for the detection of biofilm forming bacteria isolated from roots canals of teeth.

  18. Residual antibiofilm effects of various concentrations of double antibiotic paste used during regenerative endodontics after different application times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenks, Daniel B; Ehrlich, Ygal; Spolnik, Kenneth; Gregory, Richard L; Yassen, Ghaeth H

    2016-10-01

    We investigated the residual antibiofilm effects of different concentrations of double antibiotic paste (DAP) applied on radicular dentin for 1 or 4 weeks. Dentin samples were prepared (n=120), sterilized and pretreated for 1 or 4 weeks with the clinically used concentration of DAP (500mg/mL), low concentrations of DAP (1, 5 or 50mg/mL) loaded into a methylcellulose system, calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ), or placebo paste. After the assigned treatment time, treatment pastes were rinsed off and the samples were kept independently in phosphate buffered saline for 3 weeks. Pretreated dentin samples were then inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and bacterial biofilms were allowed to grow for an additional 3 weeks. Biofilms were then retrieved from dentin using biofilm disruption assays, diluted, spiral plated, and quantified. Fisher's Exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used for statistical comparisons (α=0.05). Dentin pretreatment for 4 weeks with 5, 50 or 500mg/mL of DAP demonstrated significantly higher residual antibiofilm effects and complete eradication of E. faecalis biofilms in comparison to a 1 week pretreatment with similar concentrations. However, dentin pretreated with 1mg/mL of DAP or Ca(OH) 2 did not provide a substantial residual antibiofilm effect regardless of the application time. Dentin pretreatment with 5mg/mL of DAP or higher for 4 weeks induced significantly higher residual antibiofilm effects in comparison to a 1 week pretreatment with the same concentrations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Investigations of the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis in an experimental footpad infection model in broiler breeders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thoefner, Ida; Olsen, Rikke Heidemann; Poulsen, Louise Ladefoged

    2016-01-01

    in the central foot pad. Birds underwent full post mortem and bacteriological investigation 3, 7 and 14 days after infection. Inoculation of the S. aureus resulted in systemic lesions (sepsis, endocarditis and arthritis) as well as injection site abscesses. The lesions and bacterial re-isolation in the birds...... receiving the S. aureus originating from bumble foot were restricted to the footpad only. Similar to the S. aureus the E. faecalis infected birds contracted both systemic and local lesions. Bacterial re-isolation was demonstrated in a pattern similar to the pathological findings. Both systemic and local...

  20. Quantitative detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis DNA in blood to diagnose bacteremia in patients in the intensive care unit

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peters, Remco P. H.; van Agtmael, Michiel A.; Gierveld, Sonja; Danner, Sven A.; Groeneveld, A. B. Johan; Vandenbroucke-Grauls, Christina M. J. E.; Savelkoul, Paul H. M.

    2007-01-01

    Direct detection of bacterial DNA in blood offers a fast alternative to blood culture and is presumably unaffected by the prior use of antibiotics. We evaluated the performance of two real-time PCR assays for the quantitative detection of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and for Enterococcus

  1. Enterococcus genus identification isolated from gastrointestinal tract of chickens after bees products application using MALDI TOF MS Biotyper

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miroslava Kačániová

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The general objective of this study was to examine the effect of bee product on the Enterococci colonization of chickens. Bee products were administered to both feed mixtures in various amounts in addition to the control group. First experimental group was with propolis in feed mixture with the addition of 200 mg propolis per 1 kg of compound and second group was with pollen with the addition of 250 mg pollen per 1 kg of compound. In this experiment, quantitative counts of Enterococci in ceca of 49-day-old chicken (Ross 308 using classical and MALDI TOF MS Biotyper method were investigated. Counts of Enterococci on Slanetz-Bartley agar were monitored. Enterococcus cells, isolated from gastrointestinal tract, were detected using MALDI TOF MS Biotyper. Counts of CFU of Enterococci were compared in experimental and control treatments, respectively. The lowest count was detected in the control experimental group. The highest count was detected in the first experimental group where was 200 mg of propolis added to 1 kg of feed mixture. Using MALDI TOF MS Biotyper, we identified the species range of the genera Enterococcus in the intestinal tract of broiler. Detected species from the genus Enterococcus were:      E. avium, E. casseliflavus, E cecorum, E. faecalis, E. faecium, E. gallinarum, E. hirae and E. malodoratus. In the experimental groups (caecal samples were most frequent species of E. avium E. faecium and E. gallinarum.

  2. Initial Bacterial Adhesion on Different Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Implant Surfaces in Vitro

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    Lamprini Karygianni

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial adhesion to implant biomaterials constitutes a virulence factor leading to biofilm formation, infection and treatment failure. The aim of this study was to examine the initial bacterial adhesion on different implant materials in vitro. Four implant biomaterials were incubated with Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans for 2 h: 3 mol % yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal surface (B1a, B1a with zirconium oxide (ZrO2 coating (B2a, B1a with zirconia-based composite coating (B1b and B1a with zirconia-based composite and ZrO2 coatings (B2b. Bovine enamel slabs (BES served as control. The adherent microorganisms were quantified and visualized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM; DAPI and live/dead staining. The lowest bacterial count of E. faecalis was detected on BES and the highest on B1a. The fewest vital C. albicans strains (42.22% were detected on B2a surfaces, while most E. faecalis and S. aureus strains (approximately 80% were vital overall. Compared to BES; coated and uncoated zirconia substrata exhibited no anti-adhesive properties. Further improvement of the material surface characteristics is essential.

  3. Characterization of an anti-listerial enterocin from wheat silage based Enterococcus faecium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bal, Emel Banu Buyukunal; Isevi, Taner; Bal, Mehmet Ali

    2012-10-01

    Two Enterococcus faecium and one E. faecalis strains isolated and identified from wheat silage were characterized based on plasmid content, hemolytic activity, antibiotic resistance patterns, bacteriocin production potential, and presence of enterocin structural genes (entA, entB, entP, entL50B). Among the isolates, only the E. faecium U7 strain exhibited bacteriocin activity against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644, and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE). A combination of three structural genes (entA, entB, and entP) was detected in E. faecium U7. A relationship between the presence of enterocin structural genes, and bacteriocin activity was detected in E. faecium U7; therefore partially purified enterocin (PPE) was further investigated from the isolate. Several bands of different molecular weights were expressed from PPE extracts following tricine SDS-PAGE analysis. However, the only band showing bacteriocin activity was in an approximate 4-kDa region. PPE treatment with proteinase K, lysozyme, and α -amylase caused complete loss of bacteriocin activity. PPE heat treatment at various temperatures resulted in a notable reduction in bacteriocin expression. Enterocin U7 was relatively heat stable, and presumably exhibits a glucoprotein nature with distinct inhibitory properties. Specific bacterial inhibitory activity of enterocin U7, and the producer strain absence of β -hemolysis and vancomycin susceptibility features deserves further investigation to evaluate its potential application in silage inoculation and food preservation. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Enterococcus, Myroides, and Exiguobacterium: Bacterial Genus with Probiotic Potential for Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Culture

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    Luisa Marcela Villamil Díaz

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available 120 bacteria were isolated from tilapia intestine and screened according to the antibacterial activity against pathogens such as Aeromonas hydrophila, Edwardsiella tarda and Streptococcus agalactiae, the ability to adhere to intestinal mucus and growth kinetics. The selected bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing of and were identified as Exigobacterium sp. I9, Enterococcus faecalis I15 and Myroides odoratimimus I19. Furthermore, the in vivo effect on fish growth was assessed by the addition of selected bacteria to juvenile Oreochromis niloticus feed (106 CFU / g, for 15 days. Survival was also determined after a challenge by intraperitoneal injection of E. tarda (100 μL of 105 UFC / mL. The three selected bacteria increased the specific growth rate, reduced mortality of fish during the experimental challenge with E. tarda and did not cause mortality during the addition in the feed. The positive effects observed in vivo are possibly associated with in vitro activity; however, for biosafety reasons, it is recommended that further studies of Exigobacterium sp. I9 and E. faecalis I15 may be carried out since this genus have been reported of as causative agents of fish mortality, whereas in the case of M. odoratimimus I19, verification of positive effects at a higher production scales is desirable.

  5. Effect of Zirconium Oxide and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Physicochemical Properties and Antibiofilm Activity of a Calcium Silicate-Based Material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerreiro-Tanomaru, Juliane Maria; Trindade-Junior, Adinael; Cesar Costa, Bernardo; da Silva, Guilherme Ferreira; Drullis Cifali, Leonardo; Basso Bernardi, Maria Inês

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antibiofilm activity against Enterococcus faecalis, compressive strength. and radiopacity of Portland cement (PC) added to zirconium oxide (ZrO2), as radiopacifier, with or without nanoparticulated zinc oxide (ZnO). The following experimental materials were evaluated: PC, PC + ZrO2, PC + ZrO2 + ZnO (5%), and PC + ZrO2 + ZnO (10%). Antibiofilm activity was analyzed by using direct contact test (DCT) on Enterococcus faecalis biofilm, for 5 h or 15 h. The analysis was conducted by using the number of colony-forming units (CFU/mL). The compressive strength was performed in a mechanical testing machine. For the radiopacity tests, the specimens were radiographed together with an aluminium stepwedge. The results were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey tests, with level of significance at 5%. The results showed that all materials presented similar antibiofilm activity (P > 0.05). The addition of nanoparticulated ZnO decreased the compressive strength of PC. All materials presented higher radiopacity than pure PC. It can be concluded that the addition of ZrO2 and ZnO does not interfere with the antibiofilm activity and provides radiopacity to Portland cement. However, the presence of ZnO (5% or 10%) significantly decreased the compressive strength of the materials. PMID:25431798

  6. Drug: D04349 [KEGG MEDICUS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available D04349 Drug Lactomin (JAN); Lactobacillus acidophilus; Biolact (TN) ... Enterococcus faecalis [TAX...:1351], Enterococcus faecium [TAX:1352], Lactobacillus acidophilus [TAX:1579], Lactobacillus bulgaricus [TAX

  7. Calcium Lactate addition in Bioconcrete: Effect on Compressive strength and Water penetration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irwan J.M

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents compressive strength and water penetration of bioconcrete with addition of calcium lactate. Bioconcrete has higher engineering concrete properties and durability compared to normal concrete but the natural production of calcium carbonate is limited to the calcium content in cement. Therefore, additional calcium is added as an additional calcium source to study the influence towards compressive strength and water penetration. The bacteria used in this research are Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus sp. Calcium lactate was added into concrete mix in concentrations of 0.001mol/l, 0.005mol/l and 0.01mol/l of liquid used. The concentration of bacteria added into the mix is by partial replacement of water used in casting, which are 3% for Enterococcus faecalis and 5% for Bacillus sp. Both compressive strength and water penetration test used cubes of 150mm × 150mm × 150mm. The cubes were tested after 28 days. The result of compressive strength for control is 36 MPa while partial replacement of bacteria yields 38.2 MPa for 3% Enterococcus faecalis and 37.0 MPa for 5% Bacillus sp. Calcium lactate with 0.005 mol/L has the best performance with 42.8 MPa for Enterococcus faecalis and 39.6 MPa for Bacillus sp. Whereas for water penetration, the best concentration of calcium lactate which yielded the lowest water penetration is 0.01 mol/l for both Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus sp which are 8.7 cm and 8 cm respectively. The addition of calcium lactate into bioconcrete is quite promising for improvement of concrete properties and durability.

  8. Occurrence of vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible Enterococcus spp. in reclaimed water used for spray irrigation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carey, Stephanie Ann; Goldstein, Rachel E. Rosenberg [Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD (United States); Gibbs, Shawn G. [Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health-Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (United States); Claye, Emma [Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD (United States); He, Xin [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD (United States); Sapkota, Amy R., E-mail: ars@umd.edu [Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD (United States)

    2016-05-15

    Reclaiming municipal wastewater for agricultural, environmental, and industrial purposes is increasing in the United States to combat dwindling freshwater supplies. However, there is a lack of data regarding the microbial quality of reclaimed water. In particular, no previous studies have evaluated the occurrence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in reclaimed water used at spray irrigation sites in the United States. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the occurrence, concentration, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of VRE and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci at three U.S. spray irrigation sites that use reclaimed water. We collected 48 reclaimed water samples from one Mid-Atlantic and two Midwest spray irrigation sites, as well as their respective wastewater treatment plants, in 2009 and 2010. Samples were analyzed for total enterococci and VRE using standard membrane filtration. Isolates were purified and then confirmed using biochemical tests and PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the Sensititre® microbroth dilution system. Data were analyzed by two-sample proportion tests and one-way analysis of variance. We detected total enterococci and VRE in 71% (34/48) and 4% (2/48) of reclaimed water samples, respectively. Enterococcus faecalis was the most common species identified. At the Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site, UV radiation decreased total enterococci to undetectable levels; however, subsequent storage in an open-air pond at this site resulted in increased concentrations of enterococci. E. faecalis isolates recovered from the Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site expressed intrinsic resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin; however, non-E. faecalis isolates expressed resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin (52% of isolates), vancomycin (4%), tetracycline (13%), penicillin (4%) and ciprofloxacin (17%). Our findings show that VRE are present in low numbers in reclaimed water at point-of-use at the sampled spray

  9. Occurrence of vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible Enterococcus spp. in reclaimed water used for spray irrigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carey, Stephanie Ann; Goldstein, Rachel E. Rosenberg; Gibbs, Shawn G.; Claye, Emma; He, Xin; Sapkota, Amy R.

    2016-01-01

    Reclaiming municipal wastewater for agricultural, environmental, and industrial purposes is increasing in the United States to combat dwindling freshwater supplies. However, there is a lack of data regarding the microbial quality of reclaimed water. In particular, no previous studies have evaluated the occurrence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in reclaimed water used at spray irrigation sites in the United States. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the occurrence, concentration, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of VRE and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci at three U.S. spray irrigation sites that use reclaimed water. We collected 48 reclaimed water samples from one Mid-Atlantic and two Midwest spray irrigation sites, as well as their respective wastewater treatment plants, in 2009 and 2010. Samples were analyzed for total enterococci and VRE using standard membrane filtration. Isolates were purified and then confirmed using biochemical tests and PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the Sensititre® microbroth dilution system. Data were analyzed by two-sample proportion tests and one-way analysis of variance. We detected total enterococci and VRE in 71% (34/48) and 4% (2/48) of reclaimed water samples, respectively. Enterococcus faecalis was the most common species identified. At the Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site, UV radiation decreased total enterococci to undetectable levels; however, subsequent storage in an open-air pond at this site resulted in increased concentrations of enterococci. E. faecalis isolates recovered from the Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site expressed intrinsic resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin; however, non-E. faecalis isolates expressed resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin (52% of isolates), vancomycin (4%), tetracycline (13%), penicillin (4%) and ciprofloxacin (17%). Our findings show that VRE are present in low numbers in reclaimed water at point-of-use at the sampled spray

  10. Eco-friendly fabrication of Ag nanostructures using the seed extract of Pedalium murex, an ancient Indian medicinal plant: Histopathological effects on the Zika virus vector Aedes aegypti and inhibition of biofilm-forming pathogenic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishwarya, Ramachandran; Vaseeharan, Baskaralingam; Anuradha, Ramasamy; Rekha, Ravichandran; Govindarajan, Marimuthu; Alharbi, Naiyf S; Kadaikunnan, Shine; Khaled, Jamal M; Benelli, Giovanni

    2017-09-01

    The control of Zika virus mosquito vectors and well as the development of drugs in the fight against biofilm-forming microbial pathogens, are timely and important challenges in current bionanoscience. Here we focused on the eco-friendly fabrication of Ag nanostructures using the seed extract of Pedalium murex, an ancient Indian medicinal plant. Initial confirmation of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) production was showed by a color change from transparent to dark brown. The UV-Visible spectrum (476nm), X-ray diffraction peaks (101, 200, 220 and 311) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shed light on the production of green-capped AgNPs. Morphological structure analysis using HR-TEM showed that the AgNPs were mostly hexagonal in shape with rough edges, and a size of 20-30nm. The larvicidal potential of P. murex seed extract and AgNPs fabricated using the P. murex seed extract (Pm-AgNPs) was tested on fourth instar mosquito larvae of the Zika virus vector Aedes aegypti. Maximum efficacy was achieved by Pm-AgNPs against Ae. aegypti after 24h (LC 50 34.88; LC 90 64.56mg/ml), if compared to the P. murex seed extract. Histopathological analyses showed severe damages to the hindgut and larval muscles in NPs-treated Ae. aegypti larvae. The sub-MIC concentrations of Pm-AgNPs exhibited significant anti-biofilm activity against Gram positive (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Shigella sonnei, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial pathogens, as showed by EPS and MTP assays. Light and CLSM microscopic studies highlighted a significant impact of P. murex seed extract and Pm-synthesized AgNPs on the surface topography and architecture of bacterial biofilm, both in Gram positive and Gram negative species. Overall, results reported here contribute to the development of reliable large-scale protocols for the green fabrication of effective mosquito larvicides and biofilm inhibitors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Cross-transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in patients undergoing dialysis and kidney transplant

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    D. Fram

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE cross-transmission between two patient groups (long-term dialysis and kidney transplant patients. Molecular typing, by automated ribotyping with the RiboPrinter Microbial Characterization System (Qualicon, USA, was used to analyze VRE isolates from 31 fecal samples of 320 dialysis patients and 38 fecal samples of 280 kidney transplant patients. Clonal spread of E. faecalis and E. casseliflavus was observed intragroup, but not between the two groups of patients. In turn, transmission of E. gallinarum and E. faecium between the groups was suggested by the finding of vancomycin-resistant isolates belonging to the same ribogroup in both dialysis and transplant patients. The fact that these patients were colonized by VRE from the same ribogroup in the same health care facility provides evidence for cross-transmission and supports the adoption of stringent infection control measures to prevent dissemination of these bacteria.

  12. N-halamine-based rechargeable antimicrobial and biofilm-controlling polyurethane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xinbo; Cao, Zhengbing; Porteous, Nuala; Sun, Yuyu

    2012-01-01

    An N-halamine precursor, 5, 5-dimethyl hydantoin (DMH), was covalently linked to the surface of polyurethane (PU) with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a coupling agent. The reaction pathways were investigated using propyl isocyanate (PI) as a model compound, and the results suggested that the imide and amide groups of DMH had very similar reactivity toward the isocyanate groups on PU surfaces activated with HDI. After bleach treatment, the covalently bound DMH moieties were transformed into N-halamines. The new N-halmaine-based PU provided potent antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Gram-positive), Escherichia coli (E. coli, Gram-negative), methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, drug resistant Gram-positive bacteria), vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE, drug resistant Gram-positive bacteria), and Candida albicans (C. ablicans, fungi), and successfully prevented bacterial and fungal biofilm formation. The antimicrobial and biofilm-controlling effects were stable for longer than 6 months under normal storage in open air. Furthermore, if the functions were lost due to prolonged use, they could be recharged by another chlorination treatment. The recharging could be repeated as needed to achieve long-term protection against microbial contamination and biofilm-formation. PMID:22244984

  13. Incidence of Type II CRISPR1-Cas Systems in Enterococcus Is Species-Dependent.

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    Casandra Lyons

    Full Text Available CRISPR-Cas systems, which obstruct both viral infection and incorporation of mobile genetic elements by horizontal transfer, are a specific immune response common to prokaryotes. Antiviral protection by CRISPR-Cas comes at a cost, as horizontally-acquired genes may increase fitness and provide rapid adaptation to habitat change. To date, investigations into the prevalence of CRISPR have primarily focused on pathogenic and clinical bacteria, while less is known about CRISPR dynamics in commensal and environmental species. We designed PCR primers and coupled these with DNA sequencing of products to detect and characterize the presence of cas1, a universal CRISPR-associated gene and proxy for the Type II CRISPR1-Cas system, in environmental and non-clinical Enterococcus isolates. CRISPR1-cas1 was detected in approximately 33% of the 275 strains examined, and differences in CRISPR1 carriage between species was significant. Incidence of cas1 in E. hirae was 73%, nearly three times that of E. faecalis (23.6% and 10 times more frequent than in E. durans (7.1%. Also, this is the first report of CRISPR1 presence in E. durans, as well as in the plant-associated species E. casseliflavus and E. sulfureus. Significant differences in CRISPR1-cas1 incidence among Enterococcus species support the hypothesis that there is a tradeoff between protection and adaptability. The differences in the habitats of enterococcal species may exert varying selective pressure that results in a species-dependent distribution of CRISPR-Cas systems.

  14. Vancomycineresistente enterokokken in Nederland

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leavis, H. L.; Willems, R. J.; Mascini, E. M.; Vandenbroucke-Grauls, C. M.; Bonten, M. J.

    2004-01-01

    Enterococci (Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium) are relatively avirulent enteric bacteria that usually only cause infections in immunocompromised patients. Antimicrobial treatment, however, is hampered as enterococci are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. For years, vancomycin

  15. Atypical Genetic Locus Associated with Constitutive Production of Enterocin B by Enterococcus faecium BFE 900

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franz, Charles M. A. P.; Worobo, Randy W.; Quadri, Luis E. N.; Schillinger, Ulrich; Holzapfel, Wilhelm H.; Vederas, John C.; Stiles, Michael E.

    1999-01-01

    A purified bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecium BFE 900 isolated from black olives was shown by Edman degradation and mass spectrometric analyses to be identical to enterocin B produced by E. faecium T136 from meat (P. Casaus, T. Nilsen, L. M. Cintas, I. F. Nes, P. E. Hernández, and H. Holo, Microbiology 143:2287–2294, 1997). The structural gene was located on a 2.2-kb HindIII fragment and a 12.0-kb EcoRI chromosomal fragment. The genetic characteristics and production of EntB by E. faecium BFE 900 differed from that described so far by the presence of a conserved sequence like a regulatory box upstream of the EntB gene, and its production was constitutive and not regulated. The 2.2-kb chromosomal fragment contained the hitherto undetected immunity gene for EntB in an atypical orientation that is the reverse of that of the structural gene. Typical transport and other genes associated with bacteriocin production were not detected on the 12.0-kb chromosomal fragment containing the EntB structural gene. This makes the EntB genetic system different from most other bacteriocin systems, where transport and possible regulatory genes are clustered. EntB was subcloned and expressed by the dedicated secretion machinery of Carnobacterium piscicola LV17A. The structural gene was amplified by PCR, fused to the divergicin A signal peptide, and expressed by the general secretory pathway in Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19433. PMID:10224016

  16. Estudo do perfil de susceptibilidade antimicrobiana e avaliação molecular de amostras de Enterococcus spp isoladas de pacientes hospitalizados - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v25i1.2249 Study of drugs susceptibility and molecular samples evaluation of Enterococcus spp isolated in hospitalized patients - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v25i1.2249

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celso Luis Cardoso

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Neste estudo foi investigado o perfil de susceptibilidade antimicrobiana e avaliação molecular de amostras de Enterococcus spp, isoladas de urina, secreção purulenta, sangue e ferida cirúrgica de pacientes do Hospital Universitário de Maringá, estado do Paraná, no período entre 1998 e 2000. As amostras foram avaliadas quanto à susceptibilidade a drogas, tipificadas através de JB1-PCR e investigadas quanto à presença de gene Van A e Van B. Das 58 amostras, 98,3% foram classificadas como Enterococcus faecalis. Todas as amostras foram sensíveis à nitrofurantoína e vancomicina, 96,6% sensíveis à ampicilina, 32,8% foram resistentes à estreptomicina, 10,3% resistentes à gentamicina e ciprofloxacina e 6,9% resistentes a norfloxacina. Por meio do teste de CIM, para vancomicina, observou-se crescimento bacteriano até a concentração de 4μg/ml. Não foi detectada a presença de gene Van A e Van B. A amplificação por JB1-PCR proporcionou padrões de bandas com até 7 fragmentos sendo as amostras divididas em 6 grupos distintos. Não houve prevalência de algum padrão de bandeamento que denotasse a presença de um clone e não foi possível estabelecer correlação entre genótipo com resistência antimicrobiana.The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalency of Enterococcus spp, isolated from different clinical materials. The strains were evaluated for drugs susceptibility, typing by JB1-PCR and screened to the presence of Van A and Van B gene. From the 58 strains, 98.3% were classified as Enterococcus faecalis. All strains were sensible to nitrofurantoin and vancomycin, 96.6% were sensible to ampicilin, 32.8% were resistant to streptomycin, 10.3% were resistant to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin and 6.9% were resistant to norfloxacin. Using CIM test to check vancomycin susceptibility was observed bacterial growth until 4μg/ml. The presence of Van A e Van B gene was not detected. The amplification by JB1-PCR provided band

  17. Growth Behavior of E. coli, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus Species in the Presence and Absence of Sub-inhibitory Antibiotic Concentrations: Consequences for Interpretation of Culture-Based Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heß, Stefanie; Gallert, Claudia

    2016-11-01

    Culture-based approaches are used to monitor, e.g., drinking water or bathing water quality and to investigate species diversity and antibiotic resistance levels in environmental samples. For health risk assessment, it is important to know whether the growing cultures display the actual abundance of, e.g., clinically relevant antibiotic resistance phenotypes such as vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium/Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, it is important to know whether sub-inhibitory antibiotic concentrations, which are present in surface waters, favor the growth of antibiotic-resistant strains. Therefore, clinically relevant bacteria were isolated from different water sources and the growth behavior of 58 Escherichia coli, 71 Enterococcus, and 120 Staphylococcus isolates, belonging to different species and revealing different antibiotic resistance patterns, was studied with respect to "environmental" antibiotic concentrations. The finding that VRE could only be detected after specific enrichment can be explained by their slow growth compared to non-resistant strains. Interpreting their absence in standardized culture-based methods as nonexistent might be a fallacy. Sub-inhibitory antibiotic concentrations that were detected in sewage and receiving river water did not specifically promote antibiotic-resistant strains. Generally, those antibiotics that influenced cell metabolism directly led to slightly reduced growth rates and less than maximal optical densities after 48 h of incubation.

  18. Peptide pheromone signaling in Streptococcus and Enterococcus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Laura C.; Federle, Michael J.

    2014-01-01

    Intercellular chemical signaling in bacteria, commonly referred to as quorum sensing (QS), relies on the production and detection of compounds known as pheromones to elicit coordinated responses among members of a community. Pheromones produced by Gram-positive bacteria are comprised of small peptides. Based on both peptide structure and sensory system architectures, Gram-positive bacterial signaling pathways may be classified into one of four groups with a defining hallmark: cyclical peptides of the Agr type, peptides that contain Gly-Gly processing motifs, sensory systems of the RNPP family, or the recently characterized Rgg-like regulatory family. The recent discovery that Rgg family members respond to peptide pheromones increases substantially the number of species in which QS is likely a key regulatory component. These pathways control a variety of fundamental behaviors including conjugation, natural competence for transformation, biofilm development, and virulence factor regulation. Overlapping QS pathways found in multiple species and pathways that utilize conserved peptide pheromones provide opportunities for interspecies communication. Here we review pheromone signaling identified in the genera Enterococcus and Streptococcus, providing examples of all four types of pathways. PMID:24118108

  19. Anti-adherence potential of Enterococcus durans cells and its cell-free supernatant on plastic and stainless steel against foodborne pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amel, Ait Meddour; Farida, Bendali; Djamila, Sadoun

    2015-07-01

    It is demonstrated that numerous bacteria are able to attach to surfaces of equipment used for food handling or processing. In this study, a strain of Enterococcus durans, originally isolated from a milking machine surface, was firstly studied for its biofilm formation potential on plastic and stainless steel supports. The strain was found to be a biofilm producer either at 25, 30 or 37 °C on polystyrene microtitre plates, with a best adherence level observed at 25 °C. En. durans showed a strong adhesion to stainless steel AISI-304. Antibacterial and anti-adherence activities of En. durans were tested against four foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Listeria innocua CLIP 74915) which were shown as biofilm producers on both plastic and stainless steel. En. durans cells and cell-free culture supernatant showed a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition potential of the pathogens either on solid media or in broth co-cultures. Characterization of the antibacterial substances indicated their proteinaceous nature which assigned them most probably to bacteriocins group.

  20. Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcal Infections : New Compounds, Novel Antimicrobial Therapies?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Harten, Roel M; Willems, Rob J L; Martin, Nathaniel I; Hendrickx, Antoni P A

    Over the past two decades infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria have escalated world-wide, affecting patient morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Among these bacteria, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis represent opportunistic nosocomial pathogens that cause

  1. The first report of the vanC1 gene in Enterococcus faecium isolated from a human clinical specimen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingyue Sun

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The vanC1 gene, which is chromosomally located, confers resistance to vancomycin and serves as a species marker for Enterococcus gallinarum. Enterococcus faecium TJ4031 was isolated from a blood culture and harbours the vanC1gene. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR assays were performed to detect vanXYc and vanTc genes. Only the vanXYc gene was found in the E. faecium TJ4031 isolate. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of vancomycin and teicoplanin were 2 µg/mL and 1 µg/mL, respectively. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR results revealed that the vanC1and vanXYc genes were not expressed. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and southern hybridisation results showed that the vanC1 gene was encoded in the chromosome. E. faecalis isolated from animals has been reported to harbour vanC1gene. However, this study is the first to report the presence of the vanC1gene in E. faecium of human origin. Additionally, our research showed the vanC1gene cannot serve as a species-specific gene of E. gallinarum and that it is able to be transferred between bacteria. Although the resistance marker is not expressed in the strain, our results showed that E. faecium could acquire the vanC1gene from different species.

  2. Sensitivity of antibiotic resistant and antibiotic susceptible Escherichia coli, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus strains against ozone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heß, Stefanie; Gallert, Claudia

    2015-12-01

    Tolerance of antibiotic susceptible and antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus strains from clinical and wastewater samples against ozone was tested to investigate if ozone, a strong oxidant applied for advanced wastewater treatment, will affect the release of antibiotic resistant bacteria into the aquatic environment. For this purpose, the resistance pattern against antibiotics of the mentioned isolates and their survival after exposure to 4 mg/L ozone was determined. Antibiotic resistance (AR) of the isolates was not correlating with higher tolerance against ozone. Except for ampicillin resistant E. coli strains, which showed a trend towards increased resistance, E. coli strains that were also resistant against cotrimoxazol, ciprofloxacin or a combination of the three antibiotics were similarly or less resistant against ozone than antibiotic sensitive strains. Pigment-producing Enterococcus casseliflavus and Staphylococcus aureus seemed to be more resistant against ozone than non-pigmented species of these genera. Furthermore, aggregation or biofilm formation apparently protected bacteria in subsurface layers from inactivation by ozone. The relatively large variance of tolerance against ozone may indicate that resistance to ozone inactivation most probably depends on several factors, where AR, if at all, does not play a major role.

  3. Selective pressure affects transfer and establishment of a Lactobacillus plantarum resistance plasmid in the gastrointestinal environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feld, Louise; Schjorring, S.; Hammer, Karin

    2008-01-01

    Objectives and methods: A Lactobacillus plantarum strain recently isolated from French raw-milk cheese was tested for its ability to transfer a small plasmid pLFE1 harbouring the erythromycin resistance gene erm(B) to Enterococcus faecalis. Mating was studied in vitro and in different gastrointes......Objectives and methods: A Lactobacillus plantarum strain recently isolated from French raw-milk cheese was tested for its ability to transfer a small plasmid pLFE1 harbouring the erythromycin resistance gene erm(B) to Enterococcus faecalis. Mating was studied in vitro and in different...

  4. Species distribution and resistance patterns to growth-promoting antimicrobials of enterococci isolated from pigs and chickens in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, In Yeong; Ku, Hyun Ok; Lim, Suk Kyung; Park, Choi Kyu; Jung, Gab Su; Jung, Suk Chan; Nam, Hyang Mi

    2009-11-01

    A total of 147 Enterococcus faecium and 165 Enterococcus faecalis isolates from fecal samples of chickens and pigs at slaughterhouses in Korea were tested for their resistance to 8 growth-promoting antimicrobials commonly used in animals and quinupristin and dalfopristin. Resistance to most antimicrobials was very common among both E. faecalis and E. faecium. In particular, E. faecalis showed almost no susceptibility to all the antimicrobials tested except penicillin and flavomycin, to which 1.4% and less than 24% showed resistance, respectively. Although the prevalence of resistance was lower than in E. faecalis, E. faecium showed relatively uniform resistance to all the agents tested. Among the antimicrobials tested, virginiamycin and penicillin were the most effective against E. faecium isolates: less than 31% and 41% showed resistance to those 2 antimicrobials, respectively. Penicillin was the only agent that showed relatively strong activity against both E. faecalis and E. faecium. Resistance observed in E. faecalis and E. faecium against most antimicrobials used for growth promotion was more prevalent in Korea than in European countries. The current study is the first report of resistance against feed additive antimicrobials in enterococcal isolates from livestock in Korea.

  5. Plasmid mediated enhancement of uv resistance in Streptococcus faecalis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miehl, R.; Miller, M.; Yasbin, R.E.

    1980-01-01

    A 38.5-Mdal plasmid of Streptococcus faecalis subdp. zymogenes has been shown to enhance survival following uv irradiation. In addition, the presence of this plasmid increases the mutation frequencies following uv irradiation and enhanced W-reactivation. The data presented indicate that S. faecalis has an inducible error-prone repair system and that the plasmid enhances these repair functions

  6. Consumption of Camembert cheese stimulates commensal enterococci in healthy human intestinal microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Firmesse, Olivier; Rabot, Sylvie; Bermúdez-Humarán, Luis G; Corthier, Gérard; Furet, Jean-Pierre

    2007-11-01

    Enterococci are natural inhabitants of the human gastrointestinal tract and the main Gram-positive and facultative anaerobic cocci recovered in human faeces. They are also present in a variety of fermented dairy and meat products, and some rare isolates are responsible for severe infections such as endocarditis and meningitis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Camembert cheese consumption by healthy human volunteers on the faecal enterococcal population. A highly specific real-time quantitative PCR approach was designed and used to type enterococcal species in human faeces. Two species were found, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, and only the Enterococcus faecalis population was significantly enhanced after Camembert cheese consumption, whereas Escherichia coli population and the dominant microbiota remained unaffected throughout the trial.

  7. Adesida et al., Afr., J. Infect. Dis.

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In Nigeria, most studies on enterococci have been conducted on food, ... based on Gram stain, cultural characteristics and various biochemical tests .... Fluoroquinolones have been the preferred antibiotics for treatment of ... Clonal Diversity in Multi ... Comparison of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Strains ...

  8. Evaluation of Potential Probiotic Properties of Enterococcus mundtii, Its Survival in Boza and in situ Bacteriocin Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svetoslav D. Todorov

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Boza is a low-pH and low-alcohol cereal-based beverage produced in the Balkan Peninsula. Barley was cooked and prepared according to a traditional recipe and inoculated with Enterococcus mundtii ST4V (a potential probiotic and bacteriocin-producing strain, commercially produced boza, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a combination of strain E. mundtii ST4V and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fermentation was carried out at 37 °C for 3 h. The organoleptic properties of fermented products were evaluated by a qualified taste panel. No significant differences in rheological properties were observed, suggesting that E. mundtii ST4V had no effect on the quality of the final product. Microbial cell numbers remained relatively unchanged during one week of storage. The preservative properties of bacteriocin ST4V were evaluated by contaminating boza with Lactobacillus sakei DSM 20017. Changes in microbial populations were monitored by using classical microbiological methods, PCR with species-specific primers and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE. Adsorption of bacteriocin ST4V to target cells is pH-dependent, with the highest adsorption (88 % recorded at pH=8.0 and pH=10.0. Maximum adsorption of bacteriocin ST4V (75 % to Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria innocua was recorded at 25 to 37 °C. Growth of E. mundtii ST4V was inhibited only by a few antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicaments, suggesting that the strain may be used as a probiotic by individuals receiving medical treatment.

  9. New Insights into the Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus Host Interaction Mechanisms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana María Sánchez-Díaz

    Full Text Available Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus (S. gallolyticus were classically clustered into the Lancefield Group D streptococci and despite their taxonomic reclassification still share a similar genetic content and environment. Both species are considered as opportunistic pathogens. E. faecium is often associated with nosocomial bacteraemia, and S. gallolyticus is sporadically found in endocarditis of colorectal cancer patients. In both cases, the source of infection is commonly endogenous with a translocation process that launches through the intestinal barrier. To get new insights into the pathological processes preceding infection development of both organisms, we used an in vitro model with Caco-2 cells to study and compare the adhesion, invasion and translocation inherent abilities of 6 E. faecium and 4 S. gallolyticus well-characterized isolates. Additionally, biofilm formation on polystyrene, collagen I and IV was also explored. Overall results showed that E. faecium translocated more efficiently than S. gallolyticus, inducing a destabilization of the intestinal monolayer. Isolates Efm106, Efm121 and Efm113 (p < .001 compared to Ef222 exhibited the higher translocation ability and were able to adhere 2-3 times higher than S. gallolyticus isolates. Both species preferred the collagen IV coated surfaces to form biofilm but the S. gallolyticus structures were more compact (p = .01. These results may support a relationship between biofilm formation and vegetation establishment in S. gallolyticus endocarditis, whereas the high translocation ability of E. faecium high-risk clones might partially explain the increasing number of bacteraemia.

  10. Detection of linezolid resistance due to the optrA gene in Enterococcus faecalis from poultry meat from the American continent (Colombia)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cavaco, Lina; Bernal, J F; Zankari, Ea

    2017-01-01

    Three Enterococcus isolates obtained from retail chicken collected in 2010-11 as part of the Colombian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (COIPARS) showed reduced susceptibility towards linezolid (MIC 8 mg/L). This study aimed at characterizing the isolates resistant......A gene encoding resistance to linezolid and phenicols. Additional screening of 37 enterococci strains from the same study did not detect any further positives. Typing showed that two of the isolates belong to ST59, while the last belongs to ST489. All isolates carry genes encoding resistance to macrolide...

  11. Genome-wide Screening Identifies Phosphotransferase System Permease BepA to Be Involved in Enterococcus faecium Endocarditis and Biofilm Formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paganelli, Fernanda L.; Huebner, Johannes; Singh, Kavindra V.; Zhang, Xinglin; Van Schaik, Willem; Wobser, Dominique; Braat, Johanna C.; Murray, Barbara E.; Bonten, Marc J M; Willems, Rob J L; Leavis, Helen L.

    2016-01-01

    Enterococcus faecium is a common cause of nosocomial infections, of which infective endocarditis is associated with substantial mortality. In this study, we used a microarray-based transposon mapping (M-TraM) approach to evaluate a rat endocarditis model and identified a gene, originally annotated

  12. Evaluation of a Chromogenic Agar under Development To Screen for VRE Colonization ▿

    OpenAIRE

    Kallstrom, George; Doern, Christopher D.; Dunne, W. Michael

    2010-01-01

    BBL CHROMagar VanRE (CVRE) was compared with bile esculin azide agar plus vancomycin to screen for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization. CVRE distinguishes Enterococcus faecalis (green colonies) from Enterococcus faecium (mauve colonies) on the basis of chromogenic substrate use. CVRE sensitivity and specificity were 98.6% and 99.1%. Positive and negative predictive values were 95.9% and 99.7%.

  13. Avaliação da suscetibilidade antimicrobiana de bactérias anaeróbias facultativas isoladas de canais radiculares de dentes com insucesso endodôntico frente aos antibióticos de uso sistêmico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bárbara Trindade Di Santi

    Full Text Available ResumoIntroduçãoBactérias associadas ao insucesso do tratamento endodôntico são capazes de adquirir e expressar resistência aos agentes antimicrobianos comumente empregados para tratar infecções, o que torna necessário, em determinadas situações, a realização de testes laboratoriais para detectar a resistência ou a suscetibilidade antimicrobiana desses micro-organismos.Objetivoavaliar a suscetibilidade antimicrobiana das cepas de Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Actinomyces viscosus e Staphylococcus aureus isoladas de canais radiculares de dentes com insucesso endodôntico.Material e métodoCepas clínicas de Enterococcus faecalis (n=3, Enterococcus faecium (n=3, Actinomyces viscosus (n=3 e Staphylococcus aureus (n=3, coletadas in vivo de canais radiculares com insucesso endodôntico, foram testadas quanto à suscetibilidade antimicrobiana por meio do método E-test em duplicata, utilizando os antibióticos: Amoxicilina (AC, Rifampicina (RI, Moxifloxacina (MX, Vancomicina (VA, Tetraciclina (TC, Ciprofloxacina (CI, Cloranfenicol (CL, Benzilpenicilina (PG, Amoxicilina + ácido clavulânico (XL, Doxiciclina (DC, Eritromicina (EM e Azitromicina (AZ.ResultadoTodas as cepas clínicas testadas foram suscetíveis aos antibióticos AC, XL, PG, DC, MX, TC e VA. Todos os isolados das espécies de S. aureus foram suscetíveis aos 12 antibióticos testados. As cepas de E. faecalis, E. faecium e A. viscosus mostraram padrão de suscetibilidade intermediário contra EM. Algumas cepas de E. faecalis e E. faecium foram resistentes a AZ e RI.ConclusãoAs cepas clínicas isoladas dos canais radiculares de dentes com insucesso endodôntico mostraram perfis diferentes de suscetibilidade antimicrobiana e nenhum isolado de E. faecalis e E. faeciumapresentou-se suscetível a AZ e EM.

  14. Characterization and Heterologous Expression of the Genes Encoding Enterocin A Production, Immunity, and Regulation in Enterococcus faecium DPC1146

    Science.gov (United States)

    O’Keeffe, Triona; Hill, Colin; Ross, R. Paul

    1999-01-01

    Enterocin A is a small, heat-stable, antilisterial bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecium DPC1146. The sequence of a 10,879-bp chromosomal region containing at least 12 open reading frames (ORFs), 7 of which are predicted to play a role in enterocin biosynthesis, is presented. The genes entA, entI, and entF encode the enterocin A prepeptide, the putative immunity protein, and the induction factor prepeptide, respectively. The deduced proteins EntK and EntR resemble the histidine kinase and response regulator proteins of two-component signal transducing systems of the AgrC-AgrA type. The predicted proteins EntT and EntD are homologous to ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporters and accessory factors, respectively, of several other bacteriocin systems and to proteins implicated in the signal-sequence-independent export of Escherichia coli hemolysin A. Immediately downstream of the entT and entD genes are two ORFs, the product of one of which, ORF4, is very similar to the product of the yteI gene of Bacillus subtilis and to E. coli protease IV, a signal peptide peptidase known to be involved in outer membrane lipoprotein export. Another potential bacteriocin is encoded in the opposite direction to the other genes in the enterocin cluster. This putative bacteriocin-like peptide is similar to LafX, one of the components of the lactacin F complex. A deletion which included one of two direct repeats upstream of the entA gene abolished enterocin A activity, immunity, and ability to induce bacteriocin production. Transposon insertion upstream of the entF gene also had the same effect, but this mutant could be complemented by exogenously supplied induction factor. The putative EntI peptide was shown to be involved in the immunity to enterocin A. Cloning of a 10.5-kb amplicon comprising all predicted ORFs and regulatory regions resulted in heterologous production of enterocin A and induction factor in Enterococcus faecalis, while a four-gene construct (entAITD) under the

  15. Human and Swine Hosts Share Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium CC17 and CC5 and Enterococcus faecalis CC2 Clonal Clusters Harboring Tn1546 on Indistinguishable Plasmids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Freitas, Ana R.; Coque, Teresa M.; Novais, Carla

    2011-01-01

    clonally related Enterococcus faecium clonal complex 5 (CC5) isolates (17 sequence type 6 [ST6], 6 ST5, 5 ST185, 1 ST147, and 1 ST493) were obtained from feces of swine and healthy humans. This collection included isolates widespread among pigs of European Union (EU) countries since the mid-1990s. Each ST...... comprised isolates showing similar pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns (≤6 bands difference; >82% similarity). Some CC5 PFGE subtype strains from swine were indistinguishable from hospital vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) causing infections. A truncated variant of Tn1546 (encoding...... resistance to vancomycin) and tcrB (coding for resistance to copper) were consistently located on 150- to 190-kb plasmids (rep(pLG1)). E. faecium CC17 (ST132) isolates from pig manure and two clinical samples showed identical PFGE profiles and contained a 60-kb mosaic plasmid (rep(Inc18) plus rep...

  16. Case report

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    abp

    2014-01-23

    Jan 23, 2014 ... Linezolid is the only member of synthetic oxyzolidone family and is active in-vitro against resistant Gram positive cocci such as vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium and methicilin resistant Staphylococcus aureus [9,10]. The approval was declared in our country in 2005.

  17. Biological activities of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) extract as analyzed in microorganisms and cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jesus, Daiane; Figueira, Leandro Wagner; de Oliveira, Felipe Eduardo; Pacheco Soares, Cristina; Camargo, Samira Estves Afonso; Jorge, Antonio Olavo Cardoso; de Oliveira, Luciane Dias

    2017-01-01

    R. officinalis L. is an aromatic plant commonly used as condiment and for medicinal purposes. Biological activities of its extract were evaluated in this study, as antimicrobial effect on mono- and polymicrobial biofilms, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory capacity, and genotoxicity. Monomicrobial biofilms of Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and polymicrobial biofilms composed of C. albicans with each bacterium were formed in microplates during 48 h and exposed for 5 min to R. officinalis L. extract (200 mg/mL). Its cytotoxic effect was examined on murine macrophages (RAW 264.7), human gingival fibroblasts (FMM-1), human breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7), and cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa) after exposure to different concentrations of the extract, analyzed by MTT, neutral red (NR), and crystal violet (CV) assays. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated on RAW 264.7 non-stimulated or stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli and treated with different concentrations of the extract for 24 h. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were quantified by ELISA. Genotoxicity was verified by the frequency of micronuclei (MN) at 1000 cells after exposure to concentrations of the extract for 24 h. Data were analyzed by T-Test or ANOVA and Tukey Test (P ≤ 0.05). Thus, significant reductions in colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) were observed in all biofilms. Regarding the cells, it was observed that concentrations ≤ 50 mg/mL provided cell viability of above 50%. Production of proinflammatory cytokines in the treated groups was similar or lower compared to the control group. The MN frequency in the groups exposed to extract was similar or less than the untreated group. It was shown that R. officinalis L. extract was effective on mono- and polymicrobial biofilms; it also provided cell viability of above 50% (at

  18. Harmonization of antimicrobial susceptibility testing among veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the five Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, A.; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Hofshagen, Merete

    2003-01-01

    A total of 100 bacterial strains (25 Escherichia coli, 25 Salmonella enterica, 25 Staphylococcus aureus, and 25 Enterococcus strains) and four reference strains were tested for susceptibility toward 8-12 antimicrobial agents in 12 veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the five Nordic countries...... reported as vancomycin resistant. Ten laboratories identified the Enterococcus spp. to species level. All five Enterococcus faecium and 10 Enterococcus faecalis selected from the strain collection at the Danish Veterinary Institute were correctly identified by all laboratories, whereas some problems were...

  19. Survival and activity of Streptococcus faecalis and escherichia coli in tropical freshwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muniz, I; Toranzos, G.A.; Jimenez, L.; Hazen, T.C.

    1989-01-01

    The survival of Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli was studied in situ in a tropical rain forest watershed using membrane diffusion chambers. Densities were determined by acridine orange direct count and Coulter Counter. Population activity was determined by microautoradiography, cell respiration, and by nucleic acid composition. Densities of S. faecalis and E. coli decreased less than 1 log unit after 105 hours as measured by direct count methods. Activity as measured by respiration, acridine orange activity, and microautoradiography indicated that both bacteria remained moderately active during the entire study. After 12 hours, E. coli was more active than S. faecalis as measured by nucleic acid composition. In this tropical rain forest watershed, E. coli and S. faecalis survived and remained active for more than 5 days; consequently, both would seem to be unsuitable as indicators of recent fecal contamination in tropical waters

  20. Linezolid-resistant enterococci in Polish hospitals: species, clonality and determinants of linezolid resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gawryszewska, I; Żabicka, D; Hryniewicz, W; Sadowy, E

    2017-07-01

    The significant increase of the linezolid-resistant enterococci (LRE) has been observed in Polish hospitals since 2012 and our study aimed at elucidating the possible reasons for this phenomenon. Polish LRE isolates were analysed by multilocus-sequence typing (MLST) and multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to establish clonal relatedness and mechanism of linezolid resistance, respectively. Fifty analysed LRE (2008-2015) included mostly Enterococcus faecium (82%) and Enterococcus faecalis (16%). Enterococcus faecium belonged to the hospital-adapted lineages 17/18 and 78, while E. faecalis isolates represented ST6, a hospital-associated type, and ST116, found in both humans and food-production animals. The G2576T 23S rRNA mutation was the most frequent (94%) mechanism of linezolid/tedizolid resistance of LRE. None of the isolates carried the plasmid-associated gene of Cfr methyltransferase, whereas optrA, encoding the ABC-type drug transporter, was identified in two E. faecalis isolates. In these isolates, optrA was located on a plasmid, transferable to both E. faecium and E. faecalis, whose partial (36.3 kb) sequence was 100% identical to the pE394 plasmid, identified previously in China in both clinical and farm animal isolates. The optrA-E. faecium transconjugant displayed a significant growth deficiency, in contrast to the optrA-E. faecalis. Our study indicates the role of mutation acquisition by hospital-adapted clones of enterococci as a major driver of increasing resistance to linezolid and tedizolid. Transferability and apparent lack of a biological cost of resistance suggest that E. faecalis may be a natural reservoir of optrA, an emerging mechanism of oxazolidinone resistance.

  1. Presence of Glycopeptide-Encoding Plasmids in Enterococcal Isolates from Food and Humans in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Migura, Lourdes Garcia; Valenzuela, Antonio Jesus Sanchez; Jensen, Lars Bogø

    2011-01-01

    developed techniques for classification of plasmids. Replicons associated with sex pheromone-inducible plasmids were detected in all GR E. faecalis, whereas GR Enterococcus faecium contained plasmids known to be widely distributed among enterococci. vanA resistance is common in E. faecium isolates from meat...... and animals in Europe and is rarely found in E. faecalis. This article describes the first characterization of MGE from vanA mediated E. faecalis, thus linking this resistance genotype to pheromone responding plasmids....

  2. Surface disinfection tests with Salmonella and a putative indicator bacterium, mimicking worst-case scenarios in poultry houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gradel, K.O.; Sayers, A.R.; Davies, R.H.

    2004-01-01

    Surface disinfection studies mimicking worst-case scenarios in badly cleaned poultry houses were made with 3 bacterial isolates (Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella senftenberg, and Enterococcus faecalis), and 3 1% disinfectant solutions, formaldehyde (F; 24.5% vol/vol), glutaraldehyde...... hard water, except when feed chain links with fats were disinfected using 30degreesC before and after disinfection, for which the peroxygen compound seemed more effective. Enterococcus faecalis was equally or less susceptible than S. enteritidis and S. senftenberg, indicating its suitability...... as an indicator bacterium. For the peroxygen compound, S. senftenberg was more susceptible than S. enteritidis in spite of higher minimum inhibitory concentrations to this disinfectant for the former....

  3. [Spectrum and drug sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria in children with nephrotic syndrome complicated by urinary tract infection: an analysis of 97 cases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Shao-Na; Zhang, Bi-Li; Wang, Wen-Hong; Zhang, Xuan

    2012-09-01

    To investigate the spectrum and drug sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria in children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) complicated by urinary tract infection (UTI). A retrospective analysis was performed on the spectrum and drug sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria in 97 children with NS complicated by UTI, who hospitalized from January to December, 2011. The incidence of UTI in children with NS was 36.5%. It was significantly more common in children with recurrent NS than in those with primary NS (44.0% vs 31.9%; Ppathogenic bacteria (50.5%), including Enterococcus faecium (29.4%) and Enterococcus faecalis (21.1%), followed by Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (15.6%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (14.7%). Enterococcus was highly sensitive to nitrofurantoin, vacomycin and linezolid, but was highly resistant to tetracycline and moxifloxacin. More multi-resistant strains were detected in Enterococcus faecium than in Enterococcus faecalis (72% vs 17%; Pbacteria, 25% produced extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). ESBLs-producing bacteria had 100% sensitivity to imipenem, amikacin and piperacillin/tazobactam but were highly resistant to ampicillin, cefazolin and ceftriaxone. Children with recurrent NS are more susceptible to UTI than those with primary NS. Enterococcus is becoming major pathogenic bacteria for UTI in children with NS and has relatively high drug resistance, and most strains of Enterococcus faecium are multi-resistant.

  4. Comparative study of bacteremias caused by Enterococcus spp. with and without high-level resistance to gentamicin. The Grupo Andaluz para el estudio de las Enfermedades Infecciosas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caballero-Granado, F J; Cisneros, J M; Luque, R; Torres-Tortosa, M; Gamboa, F; Díez, F; Villanueva, J L; Pérez-Cano, R; Pasquau, J; Merino, D; Menchero, A; Mora, D; López-Ruz, M A; Vergara, A

    1998-02-01

    A prospective, multicenter study was carried out over a period of 10 months. All patients with clinically significant bacteremia caused by Enterococcus spp. were included. The epidemiological, microbiological, clinical, and prognostic features and the relationship of these features to the presence of high-level resistance to gentamicin (HLRG) were studied. Ninety-three patients with enterococcal bacteremia were included, and 31 of these cases were caused by HLRG (33%). The multivariate analysis selected chronic renal failure, intensive care unit stay, previous use of antimicrobial agents, and Enterococcus faecalis species as the independent risk factors that influenced the development of HLRG. The strains with HLRG showed lower levels of susceptibility to penicillin and ciprofloxacin. Clinical features (except for chronic renal failure) were similar in both groups of patients. HLRG did not influence the prognosis for patients with enterococcal bacteremia in terms of either the crude mortality rate (29% for patients with bacteremia caused by enterococci with HLRG and 28% for patients not infected with strains with HLRG) or the hospital stay after the acquisition of enterococcal bacteremia. Hemodynamic compromise, inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, and mechanical ventilation were revealed in the multivariate analysis to be the independent risk factors for mortality. Prolonged hospitalization was associated with the nosocomial acquisition of bacteremia and polymicrobial infections.

  5. Serum Vancomycin Levels Resulting from Continuous or Intermittent Infusion in Critically Ill Burn Patients With or Without Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-01

    one (0.9%) was Streptococcus mutans , and one (0.9%) was an unidentified Enterococcus species. Organisms having MIC ≥ 2 μg/mL (as measured by the...coagulase-negative Staphylo- coccus, 13 (12.3%) were Enterococcus faecium, five (4.7%) were Enterococcus faecalis, four (3.8%) were Streptococcus ...pneumoniae, two (1.9%) were Strepto- coccus viridans, two (1.9%) were Streptococcus aga- lactiae, two (1.9%) were nonenterococcal Group D Streptococci

  6. Whole-cell protein profiles are useful for distinguishing enterococcal species recovered from clinical specimens Los perfiles de proteínas totales son útiles para distinguir especies de enterococos recuperados de muestras clínicas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Massa

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Whole-cell protein analysis was performed for differentiating 150 enterococcal isolates to the species level, which had previously been identified by extended phenotypic conventional tests. Whole-cell protein profile (WCPP showed a high degree of similarity within species and comparison between species revealed important differences in band profiles. All Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates were properly located into their corresponding species, regardless of their clinical source and susceptibility pattern. Moreover, WCPP allowed relocation of some isolates that had erroneously been identified by the usual conventional scheme (i.e. two atypical arginine-negative E. faecalis isolates. WCPP proved to be a simple method to ascertain the various enterococcal species, especially those other than E. faecalis, and may be a suitable tool for high-complexity or reference clinical laboratories.La comparación del perfil de proteínas totales permitió agrupar 150 aislamientos de enterococos dentro de la especie en la que habían sido ubicados por el esquema convencional de pruebas bioquímicas. Los patrones de proteínas totales, comparados visualmente, se mantuvieron con alto grado de similitud intraespecie y revelaron diferencias notorias en la comparación interespecie. Todos los aislamientos de Enterococcus faecalis y Enterococcus faecium, independientemente de los sitios de aislamiento, cuadro clínico del paciente, biotipo o antibiotipo, fueron fácilmente encuadrados en su especie. Asimismo, el estudio del perfil de proteínas totales de enterococos permitió reubicar taxonómicamente aislamientos que habían sido incorrectamente identificados por los métodos bioquímicos convencionales, como por ejemplo dos aislamientos atípicos de E. faecalis arginina negativos. Dado que la metodología empleada es económica y rápida, la comparación de perfiles de proteínas totales en SDS-PAGE podría ser considerada una herramienta

  7. [Enterococcus faecium lung abscess: one case report and literature review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Xiang-Qun; Liu, You-Ning

    2010-02-01

    to study the diagnosis and treatment of enterococcus faecium lung abscess. a retrospective analysis of one case of Enterococcus faecium lung abscess and literature review was conducted. this patient suffered from cough and sputum over 6 months and complicated with hemoptysis over 3 months. Pulmonary embolism and lung cancer were suspected initially. After 2 times of CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy the diagnosis of pneumonia was made in other hospitals. However, the consolidation in the lung progressed and cavity appeared although antibiotic therapy was conducted. After admission to our hospital, CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy was made and the lung tissue was sent for bacterial culture. Enterococcus faecium was cultured and it was susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid. The disease improved significantly after treatment with these 3 antibiotics in turn. In addition, 13 cases of enterococcus pneumonia or lung abscess were reviewed, including 3 cases of enterococcus faecium lung abscess. enterococcus faecium is rarely a pathogen for lung abscess. The diagnosis of enterococcus faecium lung abscess could be confirmed by lung biopsy and bacterial culture of lung tissue which could also provide the susceptibility of antibiotics and guide the antibiotic therapy.

  8. Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus durans isolated from cheese: Survival in the presence of medications under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and adhesion properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaral, Daniel M F; Silva, Luana F; Casarotti, Sabrina N; Nascimento, Liane Caroline Sousa; Penna, Ana Lúcia B

    2017-02-01

    In this study, we evaluated the survival of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus durans, isolated from cheese, in the presence of medications and under simulated in vitro gastrointestinal conditions. The presence of genes encoding virulence factors, the susceptibility to antimicrobial agents, and adhesion properties were also assessed. Enterococcus faecium and E. durans both exhibited resistance to most of the tested medications but showed a large sensitivity to analgesics and antihypertensives; they also showed wide susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Enterococcus durans SJRP29 had greater resistance to the presence of medications in comparison with the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5. The strains, except for E. durans SJRP05, did not harbor virulence genes. Enterococcus durans SJRP14, SJRP17, and SJRP26 were sensitive to all tested antimicrobial agents. Enterococcus faecium was more stable during the simulation of gastrointestinal tract and showed greater viability. At the end of the assay, except for E. durans SJRP17, all strains showed high viability (>7 log cfu/mL). Enterococcus durans SJRP29 stood out from the other strains and was selected for further evaluation; it tolerated up to 3.0% NaCl at 30 and 37°C, besides having good adhesion properties (high values of auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, and hydrophobicity). Additionally, the microorganism did not show bile salt hydrolase activity or mucin degradation. These results encourage carrying out additional tests to evaluate the probiotic features by using in vitro dynamic models and in vivo tests before applying these strains to a food system. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Biodiversity of lactic acid bacteria in Moroccan soft white cheese (Jben).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouadghiri, Mouna; Amar, Mohamed; Vancanneyt, Marc; Swings, Jean

    2005-10-15

    The bacterial diversity occurring in traditional Moroccan soft white cheese, produced in eight different regions in Morocco, was studied. A total of 164 lactic acid bacteria were isolated, purified and identified by whole-cell protein fingerprinting and rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting. The majority of the strains belonged to the genera Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc and Enterococcus. Sixteen species were identified: Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus garvieae, Lactococcus raffinolactis, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc citreum, Eterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus saccharominimus and Streptococcus sp.

  10. Role of biofilm in cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections: A study at tertiary neurocare center from South India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirtilaxmi K Benachinmardi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Biofilms are the source of persistent infections of many pathogenic microbes. They are responsible for nosocomial infection and also associated with many surgical conditions including indwelling medical devices such as ventriculoperitoneal shunt. A significant problem encountered in shunt procedures is obstruction followed by infection, with infection rate ranging from 2% to 27%, often with poor outcome. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Neuromicrobiology at a tertiary neuroinstitute for 6 months from July 1 to December 31, 2014. The samples comprised cerebrospinal fluid (CSF from suspected cases of shunt infections. Laboratory diagnosis of causative agent was established by adopting standard procedures. Then, isolates were evaluated for production of biofilm by tissue culture plate (TCP method and tube method. Results: Of the 1642 shunt CSF samples obtained from neurosurgery, 14.79% were culture positive which yielded 254 isolates. About 51.97% were Gram-negative bacilli (GNB, 46.46% were Gram-positive cocci (GPC, and 1.57% were Candida albicans. Among GNB, nonfermenters were the most common (51.52% followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.9%. Among GPC, coagulase-negative Staphylococci were 88.13%, out of which 43.26% were methicillin-resistant. Other GPC were Enterococcus spp. (4.24%, Staphylococcus aureus (5.08%, and Streptococcus spp. (2.54%. Among all isolates, 120 were tested for biofilm production, out of which 57.5% were biofilm producers and 42.5% were nonproducers. Conclusions: TCP was the better method to detect biofilm. Most of the biofilm producers were resistant pathogens.

  11. Attachment of associative diazotroph alcaligenes faecalis to rice roots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Min; Fang Xuanjun; You Chongbiao

    1993-01-01

    The process of attachment of diazotroph Alcaligenes faecalis to host plant rice was studied by using 15 N-labelled bacteria and Tn5-induced mutants. A three-step attachment mechanism of A. faecalis to rice root surface is proposed on the basis of experimental data. Adsorption is the first step. The number of adsorbed bacteria reaches maximal level after 3 h of inoculation, it consists 3.7% of the total number of bacteria inoculated. Adsorbed bacteria could be removed from rice root surface quantitatively by shaking in water. Therefore, the adsorption forces are weak. Anchoring is the second step. It begins only after 9h of inoculation and reaches a maximal level (21%) after 16 h. Anchored bacteria could not be removed by shaking. Colonization is the third step. After 20 h of inoculation. part of anchored bacteria colonizes on rice root surface tightly, and it can not be removed by vortex. At this time, the pectolytic activity of bacteria appears. Chemotaxis and exopolysaccharide (EPS) play important roles in the attachment of A. faecalis to rice root surface. EPS mutants (Exo - , Exo ++ ) showed less anchoring-capability in comparison with wild type of bacterium, but they remained the adsorption capability. While chemotaxis (Che - ) mutants are defective in adsorption, but not in anchoring. Che - , Exo - mutant lost both adsorption and anchoring capabilities. A. faecalis absorbed on all part of rice root, but the anchoring and colonization of bacteria were occurred mainly on root hairs, particularly on the joint area of main root and lateral root

  12. The synthetic human beta-defensin-3 C15 peptide exhibits antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans, both alone and in combination with dental disinfectants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Ki Bum; Kim, A Reum; Kum, Kee-Yeon; Yun, Cheol-Heui; Han, Seung Hyun

    2017-10-01

    Streptococcus mutans is a major etiologic agent of human dental caries that forms biofilms on hard tissues in the human oral cavity, such as tooth and dentinal surfaces. Human β-defensin-3 (HBD3) is a 45-amino-acid natural antimicrobial peptide that has broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. A synthetic peptide consisting of the C-terminal 15 amino acids of HBD3 (HBD3-C15) was recently shown to be sufficient for its antimicrobial activity. Thus, clinical applications of this peptide have garnered attention. In this study, we investigated whether HBD3-C15 inhibits the growth of the representative cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans and its biofilm formation. HBD3-C15 inhibited bacterial growth, exhibited bactericidal activity, and attenuated bacterial biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. HBD3-C15 potentiated the bactericidal and anti-biofilm activity of calcium hydroxide (CH) and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), which are representative disinfectants used in dental clinics, against S. mutans. Moreover, HBD3-C15 showed antimicrobial activity by inhibiting biofilm formation by S. mutans and other dentinophilic bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus gordonii, which are associated with dental caries and endodontic infection, on human dentin slices. These effects were observed for HBD3-C15 alone and for HBD3-C15 in combination with CH or CHX. Therefore, we suggest that HBD3-C15 is a potential alternative or additive disinfectant that can be used for the treatment of oral infectious diseases, including dental caries and endodontic infections.

  13. Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Enterococcus Species Isolated from Hospital and Domestic Wastewater Effluents in Alice, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benson Chuks Iweriebor

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms are on the increase worldwide and are responsible for substantial cases of therapeutic failures. Resistance of species of Enterococcus to antibiotics is linked to their ability to acquire and disseminate antimicrobial resistance determinants in nature, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs are considered to be one of the main reservoirs of such antibiotic resistant bacteria. We therefore determined the antimicrobial resistance and virulence profiles of some common Enterococcus spp that are known to be associated with human infections that were recovered from hospital wastewater and final effluent of the receiving wastewater treatment plant in Alice, Eastern Cape. Methods: Wastewater samples were simultaneously collected from two sites (Victoria hospital and final effluents of a municipal WWTP in Alice at about one to two weeks interval during the months of July and August 2014. Samples were screened for the isolation of enterococci using standard microbiological methods. The isolates were profiled molecularly after targeted generic identification and speciation for the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Results: Out of 66 presumptive isolates, 62 were confirmed to belong to the Enterococcus genusof which 30 were identified to be E. faecalis and 15 E. durans. The remaining isolates were not identified by the primers used in the screening procedure. Out of the six virulence genes that were targeted only three of them; ace, efaA, and gelE were detected. There was a very high phenotypic multiple resistance among the isolates and these were confirmed by genetic analyses. Conclusions: Analyses of the results obtained indicated that hospital wastewater may be one of the sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria to the receiving WWTP. Also, findings revealed that the final effluent discharged into the environment was contaminated with multi-resistant enterococci species thus

  14. Tedizolid susceptibility in linezolid- and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klupp, E-M; Both, A; Belmar Campos, C; Büttner, H; König, C; Christopeit, M; Christner, M; Aepfelbacher, M; Rohde, H

    2016-12-01

    Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are of ever-increasing importance, most notably in high-risk patient populations. Therapy options are often limited for these isolates, and apart from tigecycline and daptomycin, oxazolidinone linezolid is frequently administered. The broad usage of linezolid, however, has driven the emergence of linezolid-resistant VRE strains (LR-VRE), further shortening therapeutic options. Second-generation oxazolidinone tedizolid has the advantage of being active against a specific subset of LR-VRE, i.e. isolates expressing the plasmid-encoded chloramphenicol-florfenicol resistance (cfr) gene. Here we tested tedizolid activity in a collection of 30 LR Enterococcus faecium VRE (MIC range 32-256 mg/l) isolated between 2012 and 2015 from clinical and screening specimens. By pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) isolates were assigned to 16 clonal lineages. In three cases, linezolid-susceptible progenitor isolates of LR-VRE were isolated, thus demonstrating the de-novo emergence of the linezolid-resistant phenotype. PCR did not detect cfr, cfr(B) or novel oxazolidinone resistance gene optrA in LR-VRE. All isolates, however, carried mutations within the 23S rDNA. Compared to linezolid, tedizolid MICs were lower in all isolates (MIC range 2-32 mg/l), but remained above the FDA tedizolid breakpoint for E. faecalis at 0.5 mg/l. Thus, related to the predominant resistance mechanism, tedizolid is of limited value for treatment of most LR-VRE and represents a therapeutic option only for a limited subset of isolates.

  15. [Influence of staphylococcin T on Enterococcus sp. growth].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Białucha, Agata; Kozuszko, Sylwia; Gospodarek, Eugenia; Bugalski, Roman Marian; Gierlotka, Krzysztof

    2007-01-01

    Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesised, extracellular bacterial products. Generally, spectrum of inhibition is limited to the same or closely related species to bacteriocin producer. Staphylococcin T is produced by Staphylococcus cohnii strain. The present study concerns influence of StT to 267 Enterococcus sp. strains growth isolated between 2003 and 2006 in Department of Microbiology University Hospital of dr. A. Jurasz in Bydgoszcz. S. cohnii T antagonistic ability evaluated towards bacteries on Mueller-Hinton Agar (bio Mérieux) in aerobic conditions. After 24 and 48 hours tested enterococci suspensions were plated perpendiculary. Susceptibility to antibiotics was assessed by disc diffusion method according to the guideless of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and National Reference Centre for Antimicrobial Susceptibility. Among Enterococcus sp. strains tested 7.1% were sensitive to StT. The highest percentage of sensitive enterococci isolated from wound swabs, urine, blood and pus. Enterococcus faecium strains dominated (63.2%) among enterococci sensitive to StT. Moderate inhibition degree on S. cohnii T bacteriocin action was observed in majority sensitive enterococci strains. Enterococcus sp. sensitive to StT strains were frequently multidrug resistant (68.4%). According to the study results and increasing resistance to antibiotics, StT could be an alternative agent used to treat infections caused by Enterococcus sp.

  16. Prevalence and phenotypic characterization of Enterococcus species isolated from clinical samples of pediatric patients in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, south west Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toru, Milkiyas; Beyene, Getnet; Kassa, Tesfaye; Gizachew, Zeleke; Howe, Rawleigh; Yeshitila, Biruk

    2018-05-08

    This study was done to determine the prevalence and phenotypic characterization of Enterococcus species isolated from clinical samples of pediatric patients in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. The overall prevalence of Enterococci species was 5.5% (22/403). Five (22.7%) of Enterococci species were vancomycin resistant. Haemolysin, gelatinase and biofilm production was seen among 45.5, 68.2 and 77.3% of isolates respectively. The overall rate of antibiotic resistance was 95.5% (21/22). High resistance was observed against norfloxacin (87.5%), and tetracycline (77.3%). Whereas, low resistance (36.5%) was observed against ciprofloxacin and eighteen (80.8%) of the isolates were multi-drug resistant.

  17. Antibacterial and antifungal activity of endodontic intracanal medications

    Science.gov (United States)

    TONEA, ANDRADA; BADEA, MANDRA; OANA, LIVIU; SAVA, SORINA; VODNAR, DAN

    2017-01-01

    Background and aims The sterilization of the entire root canal system represents the main goal of every endodontist, given the fact that the control of the microbial flora is the key point of every root canal treatment. The diversity of microorganisms found inside the root canal and also the resistance of some bacterial species to intracanal medications led to a continuous development of new endodontic products. The present study focuses on the comparison of the antibacterial and antifungal properties of different endodontic products, two commercially available, one experimental plant based extract, and two control substances. Methods The disc diffusion assay was used to determine the antibacterial and antifungal properties of chlorhexidine, calcium hydroxide, a mix extract between Arctium lappa root powder and Aloe barbadensis Miller gel, Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid and Fluconazole (as control substances). Two of the most common microorganisms found in endodontic infections were chosen: Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212) and Candida albicans ATCC(10231). Results All tested substances showed inhibition zones around the discs, for Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans, including the experimental mix extract of Arctium lappa root powder with Aloe vera gel. Conclusion The experimental mix extract of Arctium lappa root powder and Aloe vera gel is able to inhibit very resistant microorganisms, like Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. PMID:28781531

  18. Proteomic characterization of vanA-containing Enterococcus recovered from Seagulls at the Berlengas Natural Reserve, W Portugal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radhouani, Hajer; Poeta, Patrícia; Pinto, Luís; Miranda, Júlio; Coelho, Céline; Carvalho, Carlos; Rodrigues, Jorge; López, María; Torres, Carmen; Vitorino, Rui; Domingues, Pedro; Igrejas, Gilberto

    2010-09-21

    Enterococci have emerged as the third most common cause of nosocomial infections, requiring bactericidal antimicrobial therapy. Although vancomycin resistance is a major problem in clinics and has emerged in an important extend in farm animals, few studies have examined it in wild animals. To determine the prevalence of vanA-containing Enterococcus strains among faecal samples of Seagulls (Larus cachinnans) of Berlengas Natural Reserve of Portugal, we developed a proteomic approach integrated with genomic data. The purpose was to detect the maximum number of proteins that vary in different enterococci species which are thought to be connected in some, as yet unknown, way to antibiotic resistance. From the 57 seagull samples, 54 faecal samples showed the presence of Enterococcus isolates (94.7%). For the enterococci, E. faecium was the most prevalent species in seagulls (50%), followed by E. faecalis and E. durans (10.4%), and E. hirae (6.3%). VanA-containing enterococcal strains were detected in 10.5% of the 57 seagull faecal samples studied. Four of the vanA-containing enterococci were identified as E. faecium and two as E. durans. The tet(M) gene was found in all five tetracycline-resistant vanA strains. The erm(B) gene was demonstrated in all six erythromycin-resistant vanA strains. The hyl virulence gene was detected in all four vanA-containing E. faecium isolates in this study, and two of them harboured the purK1 allele. In addition these strains also showed ampicillin and ciprofoxacin resistance. The whole-cell proteomic profile of vanA-containing Enterococcus strains was applied to evaluate the discriminatory power of this technique for their identification. The major differences among species-specific profiles were found in the positions corresponding to 97-45 kDa. Sixty individualized protein spots for each vanA isolate was identified and suitable for peptide mass fingerprinting measures by spectrometry measuring (MALDI/TOF MS) and their identification

  19. Proteomic characterization of vanA-containing Enterococcus recovered from Seagulls at the Berlengas Natural Reserve, W Portugal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Coelho Céline

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Enterococci have emerged as the third most common cause of nosocomial infections, requiring bactericidal antimicrobial therapy. Although vancomycin resistance is a major problem in clinics and has emerged in an important extend in farm animals, few studies have examined it in wild animals. To determine the prevalence of vanA-containing Enterococcus strains among faecal samples of Seagulls (Larus cachinnans of Berlengas Natural Reserve of Portugal, we developed a proteomic approach integrated with genomic data. The purpose was to detect the maximum number of proteins that vary in different enterococci species which are thought to be connected in some, as yet unknown, way to antibiotic resistance. Results From the 57 seagull samples, 54 faecal samples showed the presence of Enterococcus isolates (94.7%. For the enterococci, E. faecium was the most prevalent species in seagulls (50%, followed by E. faecalis and E. durans (10.4%, and E. hirae (6.3%. VanA-containing enterococcal strains were detected in 10.5% of the 57 seagull faecal samples studied. Four of the vanA-containing enterococci were identified as E. faecium and two as E. durans. The tet(M gene was found in all five tetracycline-resistant vanA strains. The erm(B gene was demonstrated in all six erythromycin-resistant vanA strains. The hyl virulence gene was detected in all four vanA-containing E. faecium isolates in this study, and two of them harboured the purK1 allele. In addition these strains also showed ampicillin and ciprofoxacin resistance. The whole-cell proteomic profile of vanA-containing Enterococcus strains was applied to evaluate the discriminatory power of this technique for their identification. The major differences among species-specific profiles were found in the positions corresponding to 97-45 kDa. Sixty individualized protein spots for each vanA isolate was identified and suitable for peptide mass fingerprinting measures by spectrometry measuring

  20. Improper positioning of the elevator lever of duodenoscopes may lead to sequestered bacteria that survive disinfection by automated endoscope reprocessors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfa, Michelle J; Singh, Harminder; Duerksen, Donald R; Schultz, Gale; Reidy, Carol; DeGagne, Pat; Olson, Nancy

    2018-01-01

    Some outbreaks associated with contaminated duodenoscopes have been attributed to biofilm formation. The objective of this study was to determine whether bacteria within an organic matrix could survive if the elevator lever was improperly positioned in the automated endoscope reprocessor (AER) after 1 round of reprocessing. Duodenoscope lever cavities with an open or sealed elevator wire channel were inoculated with 6-7 Log 10 of both Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis in ATS2015 (Healthmark Industries, Fraser, MI) and dried for 2 hours. The duodenoscopes with the lever in the horizontal position were processed through 2 makes of AERs. The cavity was sampled using a flush-brush-flush method to determine the quantity of surviving bacteria. E faecalis (range, 21-6 Log 10 CFU) and E coli (range, 0-3 Log 10 CFU) survived disinfection of sealed or unsealed elevator wire channel duodenoscopes in 2 different AERs with and without cleaning cycles. If bacteria in organic residue are under the improperly positioned lever, then just 1 round of use is sufficient for bacteria to survive both liquid chemical sterilization and liquid chemical HLD regardless of whether or not the AER had a cleaning cycle. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Wound biofilms: lessons learned from oral biofilms

    OpenAIRE

    Mancl, Kimberly A.; Kirsner, Robert S.; Ajdic, Dragana

    2013-01-01

    Biofilms play an important role in the development and pathogenesis of many chronic infections. Oral biofilms, more commonly known as dental plaque,are a primary cause of oral diseases including caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. Oral biofilms are commonly studied as model biofilm systems as they are easily accessible, thus biofilm research in oral diseases is advanced with details of biofilm formation and bacterial interactions being well-elucidated. In contrast, wound research has relati...

  2. Presence of Streptococcus faecalis in the White Cheese Sold in Kahramanmaraş (Turkish with English Abstract)

    OpenAIRE

    Erdoğrul, Özlem Turgay; Dığak, Metin

    2014-01-01

    In this study the presence of Streptococcus faecalis in the white cheeses made from pasteurize milk sold in Kahramanmaraş were examined. For this purpose, 22 cheese samples were taken. At the end of this study, all of the samples have Streptococcus faecalis (100%). It was concluded that the examined white cheese samples were inadequate from in reads of hygienic quality by Streptococcus faecalis.

  3. Antimicrobial Activity of Calcium Hydroxide in Endodontics: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shalavi, S; Yazdizadeh, M

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of endodontic therapy is to preserve the patient's natural teeth without compromising the patient's local or systemic health. Calcium hydroxide has been included in several materials and antimicrobial formulations that are used in several treatment modalities in endodontics, such as inter-appointment intracanal medicaments. The purpose of this article was to review the antimicrobial properties of calcium hydroxide in endodontics. Calcium hydroxide has a high pH (approximately 12.5-12.8) and is classified chemically as a strong base. The lethal effects of calcium hydroxide on bacterial cells are probably due to protein denaturation and damage to DNA and cytoplasmic membranes. Calcium hydroxide has a wide range of antimicrobial activity against common endodontic pathogens but is less effective against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Calcium hydroxide is also a valuable anti-endotoxin agent. However, its effect on microbial biofilms is controversial. PMID:23323217

  4. Enhancing the antibacterial activity of the gold standard intracanal medicament with incorporation of silver zeolite: An in vitro study

    OpenAIRE

    Ghatole, Kiran; Gowdra, Ramesh Halebathi Giriyappa; Azher, Samer; Sabharwal, Sumit; Singh, Veerandar T.; Sundararajan, Bharath Vardhana

    2016-01-01

    Background: Enterococcus faecalis is a persistent organism that plays a major role in the etiology of persistent periradicular lesions after root canal treatment has been associated with different forms of periradicular disease including primary endodontic infections and persistent infections. The present study compares the antibacterial activities of calcium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide mixed with silver zeolite, and calcium hydroxide mixed with 2% chlorhexidine against E. faecalis using dir...

  5. Biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, Daniel; Vlamakis, Hera; Kolter, Roberto

    2010-07-01

    The ability to form biofilms is a universal attribute of bacteria. Biofilms are multicellular communities held together by a self-produced extracellular matrix. The mechanisms that different bacteria employ to form biofilms vary, frequently depending on environmental conditions and specific strain attributes. In this review, we emphasize four well-studied model systems to give an overview of how several organisms form biofilms: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Using these bacteria as examples, we discuss the key features of biofilms as well as mechanisms by which extracellular signals trigger biofilm formation.

  6. 21 CFR 524.1044h - Gentamicin sulfate, mometasone furoate, clotrimazole otic suspension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... (Pseudomonas spp. [including P. aeruginosa], coagulase-positive staphylococci, Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus mirabilis, and beta-hemolytic streptococci). [66 FR 712, Jan. 4, 2001, as amended at 68 FR 15370, Mar. 31...

  7. Heat resistance of thermoduric enterococci isolated from milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAuley, Catherine M; Gobius, Kari S; Britz, Margaret L; Craven, Heather M

    2012-03-15

    Enterococci are reported to survive pasteurisation but the extent of their survival is unclear. Sixty-one thermoduric enterococci isolates were selected from laboratory pasteurised milk obtained from silos in six dairy factories. The isolates were screened to determine log(10) reductions incurred after pasteurisation (63°C/30 min) and ranked from highest to lowest log(10) reduction. Two isolates each of Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus durans and Enterococcus hirae, exhibiting the median and the greatest heat resistance, as well as E. faecalis ATCC 19433, were selected for further heat resistance determinations using an immersed coil apparatus. D values were calculated from survival curves plotted from viable counts obtained after heating isolates in Brain Heart Infusion Broth at 63, 69, 72, 75 and 78°C followed by rapid cooling. At 72°C, the temperature employed for High Temperature Short Time (HTST) pasteurisation (72°C/15s), the D values extended from 0.3 min to 5.1 min, depending on the isolate and species. These data were used to calculate z values, which ranged from 5.0 to 9.8°C. The most heat sensitive isolates were E. faecalis (z values 5.0, 5.7 and 7.5°C), while the most heat resistant isolates were E. durans (z values 8.7 and 8.8°C), E. faecium (z value 9.0°C) and E. hirae (z values 8.5 and 9.8°C). The data show that heat resistance in enterococci is highly variable. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Energy-producing system of the membrane potential generation in γ-irradiated Streptococcus faecalis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fomenko, B.S.

    1976-01-01

    γ-irradiated (20-100 krads) Str. faecalis cells exhibited increased glycolytic and ATPase activity whereas the ATP level remained unaffected by radiation. It is concluded that the radiation-induced reduction of the membrane potential in Str. faecalis, that has been earlier described, is not connected with the impairment of the energy-producing system of the potential generation

  9. Sealing ability of MTA, CPM, and MBPc as root-end filling materials: a bacterial leakage study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medeiros, Paulo Leal; Bernardineli, Norberti; Cavenago, Bruno Cavalini; Torres, Sérgio Aparecido; Duarte, Marco Antonio Hungaro; Bramante, Clovis Monteiro; Marciano, Marina Angélica

    2016-04-01

    Objectives To evaluate the sealing ability of three root-end filling materials (white MTA, CPM, and MBPc) using an Enterococcus faecalis leakage model. Material and Methods Seventy single-root extracted human teeth were instrumented and root-ends were resected to prepare 3 mm depth cavities. Root-end preparations were filled with white MTA, CPM, and MBPc cements. Enterococcus faecalis was coronally introduced and the apical portion was immersed in BHI culture medium with phenol red indicator. The bacterial leakage was monitored every 24 h for 4 weeks. The statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon-Gehan test (pCPM and the other groups. Conclusions The epoxy resin-based cement MBPc had lower bacterial leakage compared with the calcium silicate-based cements MTA and CPM.

  10. Effect of Punica granatum L. Flower Water Extract on Five Common Oral Bacteria and Bacterial Biofilm Formation on Orthodontic Wire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vahid Dastjerdi, Elahe; Abdolazimi, Zahra; Ghazanfarian, Marzieh; Amdjadi, Parisa; Kamalinejad, Mohammad; Mahboubi, Arash

    2014-12-01

    Use of herbal extracts and essences as natural antibacterial compounds has become increasingly popular for the control of oral infectious diseases. Therefore, finding natural antimicrobial products with the lowest side effects seems necessary. The present study sought to assess the effect of Punica granatum L. water extract on five oral bacteria and bacterial biofilm formation on orthodontic wire. Antibacterial property of P. granatum L. water extract was primarily evaluated in brain heart infusion agar medium using well-plate method. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by macro-dilution method. The inhibitory effect on orthodontic wire bacterial biofilm formation was evaluated using viable cell count in biofilm medium. At the final phase, samples were fixed and analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The growth inhibition zone diameter was proportional to the extract concentration. The water extract demonstrated the maximum antibacterial effect on Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556 with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 6.25 mg/ml and maximum bactericidal effect on S. sanguinis ATCC 10556 and S. sobrinus ATCC 27607 with minimum bactericidal concentration of 25 mg/ml. The water extract decreased bacterial biofilm formation by S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus, S. salivarius, S. mutans ATCC 35608 and E. faecalis CIP 55142 by 93.7-100%, 40.6-99.9%, 85.2-86.5%, 66.4-84.4% and 35.5-56.3% respectively. Punica granatum L. water extract had significant antibacterial properties against 5 oral bacteria and prevented orthodontic wire bacterial biofilm formation. However, further investigations are required to generalize these results to the clinical setting.

  11. In vitro Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of Artocarpus Lakoocha ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Representative strains of oral pathogens (Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, Streptococcus sobrinus ATCC 33478, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19433, Lactobacillus fermentum ATCC 14931, Lactobacillus salivarius ATCC 11741, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ATCC 33384, Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC ...

  12. ORF Alignment: NC_004668 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available fic IIAB ... components [Enterococcus faecalis V583] ... Length = 126 ... Query: 2 ... VGIILASHGEFAEGILQSGAMIF...GEQENVKAVTLMPSEGPDDVKAKMQEAIASFDNQDEV 61 ... VGIILASHGEFAEGILQSGAMIF...GEQENVKAVTLMPSEGPDDVKAKMQEAIASFDNQDEV Sbjct: 1 ... VGIILASHGEFAEGILQSGAMIFGEQENVKAVTLMPSEGPDDVKAKMQEAIASFDNQDEV 60 ... Query: 122 AKDGVK 127 ... AKDGVK Sbjct: 121 AKDGVK 126

  13. Enterococcus ureilyticus sp. nov. and Enterococcus rotai sp. nov., two urease-producing enterococci from the environment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sedláček, I.; Holochová, P.; Mašlaňová, I.; Kosina, M.; Spröer, C.; Bryndová, H.; Vandamme, P.; Rudolf, Ivo; Hubálek, Zdeněk; Švec, P.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 63, č. 2 (2013), s. 502-510 ISSN 1466-5026 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Bacterial source tracking * Rapid identification * Haemoperoxidus * Virulence * Faecalis * Water * Food * DNA * (GTG)(5)-PCR Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.798, year: 2013

  14. Antibacterial efficacy of nisin, pediocin 34 and enterocin FH99 against L. monocytogenes, E. faecium and E. faecalis and bacteriocin cross resistance and antibiotic susceptibility of their bacteriocin resistant variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Gurpreet; Singh, Tejinder Pal; Malik, Ravinder Kumar; Bhardwaj, Arun; De, Sachinandan

    2014-02-01

    The bacteriocin susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes MTCC 657, Enterococcus faecium DSMZ 20477, E. faecium VRE, and E. faecalis ATCC 29212 and their corresponding bacteriocin resistant variants was assessed. The single and combined effect of nisin and pediocin 34 and enterocin FH99 bacteriocins produced by Pediococcus pentosaceus 34, and E. faecium FH99, respectively, was determined. Pediocin34 proved to be more effective in inhibiting L. monocytogenes MTCC 657. A greater antibacterial effect was observed against E. faecium DSMZ 20477 and E. faecium (VRE) when the a combination of nisin, pediocin 34 and enterocin FH99 were used whereas in case of L. monocytogenes MTCC 657 a combination of pediocin 34 and enterocin FH99 was more effective in reducing the survival of pathogen. Bacteriocin cross-resistance and the antibiotic susceptibility of wild type and their corresponding resistant variants were assessed and results showed that resistance to a bacteriocin may extend to other bacteriocins within the same class and also the acquired resistance to bacteriocins can modify the antibiotic susceptibility/resistance profile of the bacterial species used in the study. According to the hydrophobicity nisin resistant variant of L. monocytogenes was more hydrophobic (p enterocin FH99 resistant variants were less hydrophobic than the wild type strain. Nisin, pediocin 34 and enterocin FH99 resistant variants of E. faecium DSMZ 20477 and E. faecium VRE were less hydrophobic than their wild type counterparts. Nisin resistant E. faecalis ATCC 29212 was less hydrophobic than its wild type counterpart.

  15. Mengen Peynirinden Laktik Asit Bakterilerinin İzolasyonu, Moleküler Tanımlanması ve Bazı Starter Kültür Özelliklerinin Belirlenmesi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aylin AKOĞLU

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Çalışmada 50 adet Mengen peyniri örneğinden toplam 117 adet laktik asit bakterisi izole edilmiş ve laktik asit bakteri florası % 44.5 Enterococcus spp., % 29.9 Lactobacillus spp., % 25.6 Lactococcus spp. olarak belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen izolatların asidifikasyon kapasiteleri ile proteolitik aktiviteleri tespit edilmiş, en iyi asidifikasyona ve proteolitik aktiviteye sahip 22 adet suş 16S rDNA dizi analizi ile tanımlanmıştır. Tanımlaması yapılan suşların 15’i (% 63 Enterococcus spp., 5’i (% 21, Lactococcus spp., 1’i (% 4 Lactobacillus spp. ve 1’i (% 4 Weissella spp. olarak belirlenmiştir. 15 adet Enterococcus spp. izolatından; 9’u (% 60 Enterococcus faecium, 4’ü (% 26.7 Enterococcus faecalis ve 2’si (% 13.3 Enterococcus durans olarak; 5 adet Lactococcus spp. izolatından, 3’ü (% 60 Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, 2’si (% 40 Lactococcus garvieae olarak tanımlanmıştır. Lactobacillus spp. ve Weissella spp. olarak tanımlanan suşların ise sırasıyla Lactobacillus casei ve Weissella viridescens olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Tanımlanan suşlar içerisinden aynı anda hem düşük proteolitik aktivite hem de yüksek asidifikasyon aktivitesi özelliği gösteren bir adet Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis suşu, Enterokoklar arasından bir adet Enterococcus faecalis, bir adet Enterococcus faecium ve iki adet Enterococcus durans suşu en iyi starter kültür özelliklerine sahip suşlar olarak belirlenmiştir.

  16. Virulence traits and antibiotic resistance among enterococci isolated from dogs with periodontal disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Manuela; Tavares, Marta; Gomes, Diana; Touret, Tiago; São Braz, Berta; Tavares, Luís; Semedo-Lemsaddek, Teresa

    2016-06-01

    Periodontal disease - PD - is one of the most widespread diseases in dogs, but the role of this odontogenic infection in the dissemination of pathogenic bacteria present in the oral mucosa to other animals or pet owners is understudied. Trying to unveil the putative pathogenicity of enterococci present in the gums of dogs diagnosed with PD, thirty-two animals were investigated during routine visits to a private veterinary clinic. Seventy-one enterococci were recovered and characterized regarding species, genomic variability, virulence traits, antimicrobial resistance and biofilm-forming ability. Isolates were mainly identified as Enterococcus faecalis, with the large majority (95%) being able to produce biofilm. Regarding antibiotic resistance, all dog-enterococci were susceptible to ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, gentamicin-120, imipenem and vancomycin; while distinct levels of resistance were observed for chloramphenicol (10%), erythromycin (20%), streptomycin-300 (35%) and tetracycline (95%). For virulence traits incidence levels of 35% were observed for β-hemolysis and 25% for cylA, 25% for gelatinase and 35% for gelE; 85% harbor efaAfs and ebpABC; while ace, agg and esp are present respectively in 50, 30 and 10% of the dog-enterococci; efaAfm and acm were detected in all the Enterococcus faecium. Overall, the widespread prevalence of PD in dogs, associated with the close contact between companion animals, other animals and humans, may act as source for the dissemination of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria. Hence, aforementioned data on virulence and resistance features, emphasizes the need for active surveillance measures, such as the diagnose of PD in companion animals during routine visits to the veterinary clinic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Analysis of gyrA and parC mutations in enterococci from environmental samples with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, A.; Jensen, Lars Bogø

    2004-01-01

    The quinolone resistance determining regions of gyrA and parC in four species of enterococci from environmental samples with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin were sequenced. The nucleotide sequence variations of parC could be related to the different enterococcal species. Mutations...... in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium related to reduced susceptibility were identical to mutations detected in E jaecalis and E. faecium of clinical origin. A minimal inhibitory concentration of 8 mug ml(-1) to ciprofloxacin was not associated with any mutations in the gyrA and parC gene...... of Enterococcus casseliflavus and Enterococcus gallinarum. These two species may be intrinsically less susceptible to ciprofloxacin....

  18. Combating biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Liang; Liu, Yang; Wu, Hong

    2012-01-01

    Biofilms are complex microbial communities consisting of microcolonies embedded in a matrix of self-produced polymer substances. Biofilm cells show much greater resistance to environmental challenges including antimicrobial agents than their free-living counterparts. The biofilm mode of life...... is believed to significantly contribute to successful microbial survival in hostile environments. Conventional treatment, disinfection and cleaning strategies do not proficiently deal with biofilm-related problems, such as persistent infections and contamination of food production facilities. In this review......, strategies to control biofilms are discussed, including those of inhibition of microbial attachment, interference of biofilm structure development and differentiation, killing of biofilm cells and induction of biofilm dispersion....

  19. Biofilms

    OpenAIRE

    López, Daniel; Vlamakis, Hera; Kolter, Roberto

    2010-01-01

    The ability to form biofilms is a universal attribute of bacteria. Biofilms are multicellular communities held together by a self-produced extracellular matrix. The mechanisms that different bacteria employ to form biofilms vary, frequently depending on environmental conditions and specific strain attributes. In this review, we emphasize four well-studied model systems to give an overview of how several organisms form biofilms: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and ...

  20. The in vitro activity of flomoxef compared to four other cephalosporins and imipenem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, P M; Knothe, H

    1991-01-01

    The antibacterial activity of the oxacephalosporin flomoxef was evaluated in comparison to cefpirome, cefuzoname, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and imipenem against fresh clinical isolates. Flomoxef is an antibiotic with strong antibacterial activity against staphylococci including methicillin-resistant strains and streptococci with the exception of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. It is very active against gram-negative cocci and rods including gram-positive and gram-negative anaerobes. Against Pseudomonas sp. flomoxef has no activity.

  1. Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of Citrullus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... Salmonella typhimurium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus) and gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Micrococcus luteus) bacteria and various Candida spp. (Candida glabrata, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and ...

  2. Chemical content, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of essential oil extract from Tunisian Origanum majorana L. cultivated under saline condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olfa, Baâtour; Mariem, Aouadi; Salah, Abbassi Mohamed; Mouhiba, BenNasri Ayachi

    2016-11-01

    Essential oils of marjoram were extracted from plants, growing under non-saline and saline condition (75mM NaCl). Their antioxidant and antibaterial activity against six bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Listeria ivanovii, Listeria inocula, and Listeria monocytogenes) were assessed. Result showed that, (i) independently of salt treatment, marjoram essential oils inhibited the growth of most of the bacteria but in degrees. The least susceptible one was Enterococcus faecalis. (ii) Gram negative bacteria seemed more sensitive to treated essential oils than Gram positive ones. (iii) Compared to synthetic antibiotics, marjoram essential oils were more effective against E. coli, L. innocua and S. enteridis. This activity was due to their high antioxidant activity. Thus, essential oils of marjoram may be an alternative source of natural antibacterial and antioxidant agents.

  3. Biofilm Risks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wirtanen, Gun Linnea; Salo, Satu

    2016-01-01

    This chapter on biofilm risks deals with biofilm formation of pathogenic microbes, sampling and detection methods, biofilm removal, and prevention of biofilm formation. Several common pathogens produce sticky and/or slimy structures in which the cells are embedded, that is, biofilms, on various...... surfaces in food processing. Biofilms of common foodborne pathogens are reviewed. The issue of persistent and nonpersistent microbial contamination in food processing is also discussed. It has been shown that biofilms can be difficult to remove and can thus cause severe disinfection and cleaning problems...... in food factories. In the prevention of biofilm formation microbial control in process lines should both limit the number of microbes on surfaces and reduce microbial activity in the process. Thus the hygienic design of process equipment and process lines is important in improving the process hygiene...

  4. Association of red complex, A. actinomycetemcomitans and non-oral bacteria with periodontal diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva-Boghossian, Carina Maciel; do Souto, Renata Martins; Luiz, Ronir R; Colombo, Ana Paula Vieira

    2011-09-01

    Pathogens related to systemic infections have been detected in the periodontal microbiota. The relationship amongst these pathogens, periodontal bacteria and periodontal clinical status is poorly understood. This study evaluated the association amongst red complex, A. actinomycetemcomitans (A.a) and non-oral pathogenic bacteria in subjects with good periodontal health (PH), gingivitis (G), chronic (CP) and aggressive (AP) periodontitis. Subgingival biofilm samples were obtained from 51 PH, 42 G, 219 CP and 90 AP subjects. The presence and levels of A.a, red complex (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola), Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were determined by DNA probes and DNA-DNA hybridization technique. CP and AP subjects presented significantly higher prevalence and levels of A.a, red complex and A. baumannii than G and PH individuals (pperiodontal disease (pperiodontal pathogens and non-oral bacteria alone or in association were strongly associated with periodontitis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Antimicrobial efficacy of nanosilver, sodium hypochlorite and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NS), chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) against Enterococcus faecalis. Two tests of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and zone of inhibition were carried out using NS, NaOCl and CHX. 70-fold ...

  6. Research Paper ISSN 0189-6016©2009

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The test organisms included bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, ... fungus C. neoformans was also inhibited by many compounds present in the extracts. ... estimated that natural products are implicated in the development of 44% of all new drugs,.

  7. Bacterial indicators of pollution of the Douala lagoon, Cameroon ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eleven species of bacteria: Bacteroides fragilis, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Citrobacter freundii, Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus mycoides and Serratia marcesens, were frequently isolated. Conclusion: The presence of ...

  8. Characterization of Multidrug Resistant E. faecalis Strains from Pigs of Local Origin by ADSRRS-Fingerprinting and MALDI -TOF MS; Evaluation of the Compatibility of Methods Employed for Multidrug Resistance Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aneta Nowakiewicz

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to characterize multidrug resistant E. faecalis strains from pigs of local origin and to analyse the relationship between resistance and genotypic and proteomic profiles by amplification of DNA fragments surrounding rare restriction sites (ADSRRS-fingerprinting and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI -TOF MS. From the total pool of Enterococcus spp. isolated from 90 pigs, we selected 36 multidrug resistant E. faecalis strains, which represented three different phenotypic resistance profiles. Phenotypic resistance to tetracycline, macrolides, phenicols, and lincomycin and high-level resistance to aminoglycosides were confirmed by the occurrence of at least one corresponding resistance gene in each strain. Based on the analysis of the genotypic and phenotypic resistance of the strains tested, five distinct resistance profiles were generated. As a complement of this analysis, profiles of virulence genes were determined and these profiles corresponded to the phenotypic resistance profiles. The demonstration of resistance to a wide panel of antimicrobials by the strains tested in this study indicates the need of typing to determine the spread of resistance also at the local level. It seems that in the case of E. faecalis, type and scope of resistance strongly determines the genotypic pattern obtained with the ADSRRS-fingerprinting method. The ADSRRS-fingerprinting analysis showed consistency of the genetic profiles with the resistance profiles, while analysis of data with the use of the MALDI- TOF MS method did not demonstrate direct reproduction of the clustering pattern obtained with this method. Our observations were confirmed by statistical analysis (Simpson's index of diversity, Rand and Wallace coefficients. Even though the MALDI -TOF MS method showed slightly higher discrimination power than ADSRRS-fingerprinting, only the latter method allowed reproduction of the

  9. Effect of Punica granatum L. Flower Water Extract on Five Common Oral Bacteria and Bacterial Biofilm Formation on Orthodontic Wire

    Science.gov (United States)

    VAHID DASTJERDI, Elahe; ABDOLAZIMI, Zahra; GHAZANFARIAN, Marzieh; AMDJADI, Parisa; KAMALINEJAD, Mohammad; MAHBOUBI, Arash

    2014-01-01

    Background: Use of herbal extracts and essences as natural antibacterial compounds has become increasingly popular for the control of oral infectious diseases. Therefore, finding natural antimicrobial products with the lowest side effects seems necessary. The present study sought to assess the effect of Punica granatum L. water extract on five oral bacteria and bacterial biofilm formation on orthodontic wire. Methods: Antibacterial property of P. granatum L. water extract was primarily evaluated in brain heart infusion agar medium using well-plate method. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by macro-dilution method. The inhibitory effect on orthodontic wire bacterial biofilm formation was evaluated using viable cell count in biofilm medium. At the final phase, samples were fixed and analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Results: The growth inhibition zone diameter was proportional to the extract concentration. The water extract demonstrated the maximum antibacterial effect on Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556 with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 6.25 mg/ml and maximum bactericidal effect on S. sanguinis ATCC 10556 and S. sobrinus ATCC 27607 with minimum bactericidal concentration of 25 mg/ml. The water extract decreased bacterial biofilm formation by S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus, S. salivarius, S. mutans ATCC 35608 and E. faecalis CIP 55142 by 93.7–100%, 40.6–99.9%, 85.2–86.5%, 66.4–84.4% and 35.5–56.3% respectively. Conclusion: Punica granatum L. water extract had significant antibacterial properties against 5 oral bacteria and prevented orthodontic wire bacterial biofilm formation. However, further investigations are required to generalize these results to the clinical setting. PMID:26171362

  10. Biofilm architecture in a novel pressurized biofilm reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Wei; Xia, Siqing; Duan, Liang; Hermanowicz, Slawomir W

    2015-01-01

    A novel pure-oxygen pressurized biofilm reactor was operated at different organic loading, mechanical shear and hydrodynamic conditions to understand the relationships between biofilm architecture and its operation. The ultimate goal was to improve the performance of the biofilm reactor. The biofilm was labeled with seven stains and observed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Unusual biofilm architecture of a ribbon embedded between two surfaces with very few points of attachment was observed. As organic loading increased, the biofilm morphology changed from a moderately rough layer into a locally smoother biomass with significant bulging protuberances, although the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency remained unchanged at about 75%. At higher organic loadings, biofilms contained a larger fraction of active cells distributed uniformly within a proteinaceous matrix with decreasing polysaccharide content. Higher hydrodynamic shear in combination with high organic loading resulted in the collapse of biofilm structure and a substantial decrease in reactor performance (a COD removal of 16%). Moreover, the important role of proteins for the spatial distribution of active cells was demonstrated quantitatively.

  11. Staphylococcus aureus biofilm removal by targeting biofilm-associated extracellular proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudhir K Shukla

    2017-01-01

    Methods: Biofilm assay was done in 96-well microtitre plate to evaluate the effect of proteinase K on biofilms of bovine mastitis S. Aureus isolates. Extracellular polymeric substances were extracted and evaluated for their composition (protein, polysaccharides and extracellular DNA, before and after the proteinase K treatment. Results: Biofilm assay showed that 2 μg/ml proteinase K significantly inhibited biofilm development in bap-positive S. aureus V329 as well as other S. aureus isolates (SA7, SA10, SA33, SA352, but not in bap-mutant M556 and SA392 (a weak biofilm-producing strain. Proteinase K treatment on S. aureus planktonic cells showed that there was no inhibition of planktonic growth up to 32 μg/ml of proteinase K. Proteinase K treatment on 24 h old preformed biofilms showed an enhanced dispersion of bap-positive V329 and SA7, SA10, SA33 and SA352 biofilms; however, proteinase K did not affect the bap-mutant S. aureus M556 and SA392 biofilms. Biofilm compositions study before and after proteinase K treatment indicated that Bap might also be involved in eDNA retention in the biofilm matrix that aids in biofilm stability. When proteinase K was used in combination with antibiotics, a synergistic effect in antibiotic efficacy was observed against all biofilm-forming S. aureus isolates. Interpretation & conclusions: Proteinase K inhibited biofilms growth in S. aureus bovine mastitis isolates but did not affect their planktonic growth. An enhanced dispersion of preformed S. aureus biofilms was observed on proteinase K treatment. Proteinase K treatment with antibiotics showed a synergistic effect against S. aureus biofilms. The study suggests that dispersing S. aureus by protease can be of use while devising strategies againstS. aureus biofilms.

  12. Survival and activity of Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli in petroleum-contaminated tropical marine waters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santo Domingo, J.W.; Fuentes, F.A.; Hazen, T.C. [Univ. of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras (Puerto Rico). Microbial Ecology Lab.

    1987-12-31

    The in situ survival and activity of Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli were studied using membrane diffusion chambers in tropical marine waters receiving oil refinery effluents. Protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, respiration or fermentation, INT reduced per cell, and ATP per cell were used to measure physiological activity. Cell densities decreased significantly over time at both sites for both S. faecalis and E. coli; however, no significant differences in survival pattern were observed between S. faecalis and E.coli. Differences in protein synthesis between the two were only observed at a study site which was not heavily oiled. Although fecal streptococci have been suggested as a better indicator of fecal contamination than fecal coliforms in marine waters, in this study both E. coli and S. faecalis survived and remained physiologically active for extended periods of time. These results suggest that the fecal streptococci group is not a better indicator of fecal contamination in tropical marine waters than the fecal coliform group, especially when that environment is high in long-chained hydrocarbons.

  13. Characterization of a Bacteriocin-Like Substance Produced by a Vaginal Lactobacillus salivarius Strain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocaña, Virginia S.; Pesce de Ruiz Holgado, Aída A.; Nader-Macías, María Elena

    1999-01-01

    A novel bacteriocin-like substance produced by vaginal Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salivarius CRL 1328 with activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was characterized. The highest level of production of this heat-resistant peptide or protein occurred during the late exponential phase. Its mode of action was shown to be bactericidal. L. salivarius subsp. salivarius CRL 1328 could be used for the design of a probiotic to prevent urogenital infections. PMID:10584033

  14. Atividade antibacteriana de extratos de erva mate (Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. Antibacterial activity of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. extracts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Girolometto

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Através de testes de diluição, em sistema de tubos múltiplos, determinou-se a intensidade de atividade de inibição bacteriana (IINIB e intensidade de atividade de inativação bacteriana (IINAB de extratos hídricos (decocto, etanólicos (alcoolatura e hidroalcoolatura de cambitos e de folhas de Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil.(Aquifoliaceae sobre as bactérias Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25.923, Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 19.433, Salmonella enteritidis (ATCC 11.076 e Escherichia coli (ATCC 11.229. Todas as formas de extração apresentaram capacidade de inativação e/ou inibição seletivas sobre as bactérias avaliadas, porém os extratos originados por destilação etanólica apresentaram os melhores resultados. Salmonella enteritidis demonstrou maior sensibilidade, seguida por Enterococcus faecalis. Posteriormente, estes dois agentes foram submetidos a testes de suspensão, no mesmo sistema, na presença e ausência de matéria orgânica (soro bovino, sob controle do fator tempo. A presença de matéria orgânica diminuiu, enquanto o tempo de exposição aumentou a sensibilidade de Salmonella enteritidis e de Enterococus faecalis aos diferentes extratos de Ilex testados.Dilution tests in multiple tube system were employed to evaluate the intensity of bacterial inhibition activity (IINIB and bacterial inactivation activity (IINAB of aqueous extracts (decoctions and ethanolic extracts (alcoholic and hydroalcoholic extracts from "cambitos" of Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil. (Aquifoliaceae leaf on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25.923, Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 19.433, Salmonella enteritidis (ATCC 11.076, and Escherichia coli (ATCC 11.229. All extraction procedures presented selective inactivation and/or inhibition capacity on the evaluated bacteria; however, extracts from ethanolic distillation yielded the best results. Salmonella enteritidis had the highest sensitivity, followed by Enterococus faecalis. Later, such agents were

  15. ORF Alignment: NC_004668 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_004668 gi|29376585 >1pq4B 1 288 29 305 1e-52 ... ref|NP_815739.1| endocarditis spe...cific antigen [Enterococcus faecalis V583] ... gb|AAO81809.1| endocarditis specific antigen ...

  16. USE OF COMPETITIVE GENOMIC HYBRIDIZATION TO ENRICH FOR GENOME-SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO CLOSELY RELATED HUMAN FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enterococci are frequently used as indicators of fecal pollution in surface waters. To accelerate the identification of Enterococcus faecalis-specific DNA sequences, we employed a comparative genomic strategy utilizing a positive selection process to compare E. faec...

  17. Association of oncogenic bacteria with colorectal cancer in South China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Youlian; He, Hanchang; Xu, Haoming; Li, Yingfei; Li, Zhiming; Du, Yanlei; He, Jie; Zhou, Yongjian; Wang, Hong; Nie, Yuqiang

    2016-12-06

    To quantify Fusobacterium spp., Enterococcus faecalis (E.faecalis), Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and their possible association with CRC clinicopathogical features, we collected the resected tumors and adjacent normal tissues (N) from 97 CRC patients. 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were also recruited. Real-time PCR was used for bacterial quantification. The median abundance ofFusobacterium spp.(p colon tissue in the proximity of the tumor.

  18. A 1.5 hour procedure for identification of Enterococcus Species directly from blood cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Margie A; Marlowe, Elizabeth; Novak-Weekly, Susan; Miller, J M; Painter, T M; Salimnia, Hossein; Crystal, Benjamin

    2011-02-10

    Enterococci are a common cause of bacteremia with E. faecalis being the predominant species followed by E. faecium. Because resistance to ampicillin and vancomycin in E. faecalis is still uncommon compared to resistance in E. faecium, the development of rapid tests allowing differentiation between enterococcal species is important for appropriate therapy and resistance surveillance. The E. faecalis OE PNA FISH assay (AdvanDx, Woburn, MA) uses species-specific peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes in a fluorescence in situ hybridization format and offers a time to results of 1.5 hours and the potential of providing important information for species-specific treatment. Multicenter studies were performed to assess the performance of the 1.5 hour E. faecalis/OE PNA FISH procedure compared to the original 2.5 hour assay procedure and to standard bacteriology methods for the identification of enterococci directly from a positive blood culture bottle.

  19. Meningitis associated with Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus casseliflavus: First report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilay Sefa Uçar

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Enterococci are present in the gastrointestinal system as normal floral components. In the past two decades membersof the genus Enterococcus have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. Enterococci may cause arange of different disorders such as urinary tract, intraabdominal, and wound infections, as well as endocarditis, meningitisand bacteraemia. Nosocomial enterococcal meningitis is most commonly observed following ventriculoperitonealshunt operations. Vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE represents 30% of all enterococci infections.This report presents a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus casseliflavus meningitis case in a 66-year-old patient withventriculoperitoneal shunt, which has not been reported in the literature before. Successful outcomes were obtainedwith daptomycin plus linezolid combined treatment in VRE meningitis. Treatment recommendations in VRE meningitisare also discussed in this article. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2011;1 (3:138-140

  20. 9230 FECAL ENTEROCOCCUS/STREPTOCOCCUS GROUPS

    Science.gov (United States)

    In 1903 the genus name Enterococcus was proposed for gram-positive, catalase-negative, coccoid-shaped bacterial of intestinal origin. Several years later, it was suggested that the genus name be changed to Streptococcus because of the organisms' ability to form chains of coccoid...

  1. Normal conjunctival flora in the North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and raccoon (Procyon lotor).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinard, Chantale L; Brightman, Alan H; Yeary, Teresa J; Everson, Troy D; Cox, Linda K; Chengappa, M M; Davidson, Harriet J

    2002-10-01

    We documented the normal conjunctival bacterial flora from 17 opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and 10 raccoons (Procyon lotor) trapped in Manhattan, Kansas (USA) from November 1999 to January 2000. Both raccoons and opossums were free of apparent ocular disease. The inferior conjunctival sacs of each animal were swabbed for aerobic bacterial and Mycoplasma culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia detection. All conjunctival samples were positive for one or more species of aerobic bacteria. The most common isolate from opossums was Staphylococcus spp. Other isolates included Streptococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Enterococcus faecalis. The most common isolates in raccoons was Bacillus spp. Other isolates included Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., non-hemolytic Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecalis. Mycoplasma culture was negative in samples from opossums and raccoons. Evidence of Mycoplasma and Chlamydia presence was detected by PCR.

  2. Diversity of enterococcal species and characterization of high-level aminoglycoside resistant enterococci of samples of wastewater and surface water in Tunisia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Said, Leila; Klibi, Naouel; Lozano, Carmen; Dziri, Raoudha; Ben Slama, Karim; Boudabous, Abdellatif; Torres, Carmen

    2015-10-15

    One hundred-fourteen samples of wastewater (n=64) and surface-water (n=50) were inoculated in Slanetz-Bartley agar plates supplemented or not with gentamicin (SB-Gen and SB plates, respectively) for enterococci recovery. Enterococci were obtained from 75% of tested samples in SB media (72% in wastewater; 78% in surface-water), and 85 enterococcal isolates (one/positive-sample) were obtained. Enterococcus faecium was the most prevalent species (63.5%), followed by Enterococcus faecalis (20%), Enterococcus hirae (9.4%), Enterococcus casseliflavus (4.7%), and Enterococcus gallinarum/Enterococcus durans (2.4%). Antibiotic resistance detected among these enterococci was as follows [percentage/detected gene (number isolates)]: kanamycin [29%/aph(3')-IIIa (n=22)], streptomycin [8%/ant(6)-Ia (n=4)], erythromycin [44%/erm(B) (n=34)], tetracycline [18%/tet(M) (n=6)/tet(M)-tet(L) (n=9)], chloramphenicol [2%/cat(A) (n=1)], ciprofloxacin [7%] and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [94%]. High-level-gentamicin resistant (HLR-G) enterococci were recovered from 15 samples in SB-Gen or SB plates [12/64 samples of wastewater (19%) and 3/50 samples of surface-water (6%)]; HLR-G isolates were identified as E. faecium (n=7), E. faecalis (n=6), and E. casseliflavus (n=2). These HLR-G enterococci carried the aac(6')-Ie-aph(2")-Ia and erm(B) genes, in addition to aph(3')-IIIa (n=10), ant(6)-Ia (n=9), tet(M) (n=13), tet(L) (n=8) and cat(A) genes (n=2). Three HLR-G enterococci carried the esp virulence gene. Sequence-types detected among HLR-G enterococci were as follows: E. faecalis (ST480, ST314, ST202, ST55, and the new ones ST531 and ST532) and E. faecium (ST327, ST12, ST296, and the new ones ST985 and ST986). Thirty-two different PFGE patterns were detected among 36 high-level-aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci recovered in water samples. Diverse genetic lineages of HLR-G enterococci were detected in wastewater and surface-water in Tunisia. Water can represent an important source for the

  3. Biofilm roughness determines Cryptosporidium parvum retention in environmental biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiCesare, E A Wolyniak; Hargreaves, B R; Jellison, K L

    2012-06-01

    The genus Cryptosporidium is a group of waterborne protozoan parasites that have been implicated in significant outbreaks of gastrointestinal infections throughout the world. Biofilms trap these pathogens and can contaminate water supplies through subsequent release. Biofilm microbial assemblages were collected seasonally from three streams in eastern Pennsylvania and used to grow biofilms in laboratory microcosms. Daily oocyst counts in the influx and efflux flow allowed the calculation of daily oocyst retention in the biofilm. Following the removal of oocysts from the influx water, oocyst attachment to the biofilm declined to an equilibrium state within 5 days that was sustained for at least 25 days. Varying the oocyst loading rate for the system showed that biofilm retention could be saturated, suggesting that discrete binding sites determined the maximum number of oocysts retained. Oocyst retention varied seasonally but was consistent across all three sites; however, seasonal oocyst retention was not consistent across years at the same site. No correlation between oocyst attachment and any measured water quality parameter was found. However, oocyst retention was strongly correlated with biofilm surface roughness and roughness varied among seasons and across years. We hypothesize that biofilm roughness and oocyst retention are dependent on environmentally driven changes in the biofilm community rather than directly on water quality conditions. It is important to understand oocyst transport dynamics to reduce risks of human infection. Better understanding of factors controlling biofilm retention of oocysts should improve our understanding of oocyst transport at different scales.

  4. Molecular diagnosis of urinary tract infections by semi-quantitative detection of uropathogens in a routine clinical hospital setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A. van der Zee (Anneke); L.D. Roorda (Lieuwe); G. Bosman (Gerda); J.M. Ossewaarde (Jacobus)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractBackground The objective of our study was the development of a semi-quantitative real-time PCR to detect uropathogens. Two multiplex PCR reactions were designed to detect Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and

  5. Use of the Lactococcal nisA Promoter To Regulate Gene Expression in Gram-Positive Bacteria : Comparison of Induction Level and Promoter Strength

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eichenbaum, Zehava; Federle, Michael J.; Marra, Diana; Vos, Willem M. de; Kuipers, Oscar P.; Kleerebezem, Michiel; Scott, June R.

    1998-01-01

    We characterized the regulated activity of the lactococcal nisA promoter in strains of the gram-positive species Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus subtilis. nisA promoter activity was dependent on the proteins NisR and

  6. Antimicrobial Activity of Lannea welwitschii Stem Bark Against ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The plant extracts inhibited Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and some Escherichia coli that are resistant to more than four antibiotics including pefloxacin. The inhibitory activity was more against S. aureus compared with other bacteria.

  7. Horizontal transfer of tet(M) and erm(B) resistance plasmids from food strains of Lactobacillus plantarum to Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 in the gastrointestinal tract of gnotobiotic rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Louise; Wilcks, Andrea; Hammer, Karin

    2007-01-01

    Two wild-type strains of Lactobacillus plantarum previously isolated from fermented dry sausages were analysed for their ability to transfer antibiotic resistance plasmids in the gastrointestinal tract. For this purpose, we used gnotobiotic rats as an in vivo model. Rats were initially inoculated......(2) CFU g(-1) faeces towards the end of the experiment. For erm(B)-TCs, the number was significantly higher and increased to c. 10(3) CFU g(-1) faeces. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing in vivo transfer of wild-type antibiotic resistance plasmids from L. plantarum to E. faecalis....

  8. Biofilm Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tolker-Nielsen, Tim

    2015-01-01

    During the past decade we have gained much knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that are involved in initiation and termination of biofilm formation. In many bacteria, these processes appear to occur in response to specific environmental cues and result in, respectively, induction or terminat......During the past decade we have gained much knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that are involved in initiation and termination of biofilm formation. In many bacteria, these processes appear to occur in response to specific environmental cues and result in, respectively, induction...... or termination of biofilm matrix production via the second messenger molecule c-di-GMP. In between initiation and termination of biofilm formation we have defined specific biofilm stages, but the currently available evidence suggests that these transitions are mainly governed by adaptive responses......, and not by specific genetic programs. It appears that biofilm formation can occur through multiple pathways and that the spatial structure of the biofilms is species dependent as well as dependent on environmental conditions. Bacterial subpopulations, e.g., motile and nonmotile subpopulations, can develop...

  9. Biofilm Infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Jensen, Peter Østrup; Moser, Claus Ernst

    A still increasing interest and emphasis on the sessile bacterial lifestyle biofilms has been seen since it was realized that the vast majority of the total microbial biomass exists as biofilms. Aggregation of bacteria was first described by Leeuwenhoek in 1677, but only recently recognized...... as being important in chronic infection. In 1993 the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recognized that the biofilm mode of growth was relevant to microbiology. This book covers both the evidence for biofilms in many chronic bacterial infections as well as the problems facing these infections...... such as diagnostics, pathogenesis, treatment regimes and in vitro and in vivo models for studying biofilms. This is the first scientific book on biofilm infections, chapters written by the world leading scientist and clinicians. The intended audience of this book is scientists, teachers at university level as well...

  10. Biophysics of biofilm infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Philip S

    2014-04-01

    This article examines a likely basis of the tenacity of biofilm infections that has received relatively little attention: the resistance of biofilms to mechanical clearance. One way that a biofilm infection persists is by withstanding the flow of fluid or other mechanical forces that work to wash or sweep microorganisms out of the body. The fundamental criterion for mechanical persistence is that the biofilm failure strength exceeds the external applied stress. Mechanical failure of the biofilm and release of planktonic microbial cells is also important in vivo because it can result in dissemination of infection. The fundamental criterion for detachment and dissemination is that the applied stress exceeds the biofilm failure strength. The apparent contradiction for a biofilm to both persist and disseminate is resolved by recognizing that biofilm material properties are inherently heterogeneous. There are also mechanical aspects to the ways that infectious biofilms evade leukocyte phagocytosis. The possibility of alternative therapies for treating biofilm infections that work by reducing biofilm cohesion could (1) allow prevailing hydrodynamic shear to remove biofilm, (2) increase the efficacy of designed interventions for removing biofilms, (3) enable phagocytic engulfment of softened biofilm aggregates, and (4) improve phagocyte mobility and access to biofilm. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Kinetic studies of the action of Lactacin F, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii that forms poration complexes in the cytoplasmic membrane.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abee, T.; Klaenhammer, T.R.; Letellier, L.

    1994-01-01

    The bacteriocin lactacin F is bactericidal against Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Enterococcus faecalis. Activity against L. delbrueckii was recently shown to be dependent on two peptides, LafA and LafX, which are encoded within the lactacin F operon (T. R. Klaenhammer,

  12. Fermentation of D-Tagatose by Human Intestinal Bacteria and Dairy Lactic Acid Bacteria

    OpenAIRE

    Bertelsen, Hans; Andersen, Hans; Tvede, Michael

    2011-01-01

    A number of 174 normal or pathogenic human enteric bacteria and dairy lactic acid bacteria were screened for D-tagatose fermentation by incubation for 48 hours. Selection criteria for fermentation employed included a drop in pH below 5.5 and a distance to controls of more than 0.5. Only a few of the normal occurring enteric human bacteria were able to ferment D-tagatose, among those Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus strains. D-Tagatose fermentation seems to be comm...

  13. Utilization of blood cultures in Danish hospitals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gubbels, S; Nielsen, J; Voldstedlund, M

    2015-01-01

    This national population-based study was conducted as part of the development of a national automated surveillance system for hospital-acquired bacteraemia and ascertains the utilization of blood cultures (BCs). A primary objective was to understand how local differences may affect interpretation......, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella oxytoca, accounted for 74.7% of agents for this purpose classified as pathogenic. An increase in BCs and positive BCs was observed over time, particularly among...

  14. Treatment of Oral Multispecies Biofilms by an Anti-Biofilm Peptide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhejun; de la Fuente-Núñez, Cesar; Shen, Ya; Haapasalo, Markus; Hancock, Robert E W

    2015-01-01

    Human oral biofilms are multispecies microbial communities that exhibit high resistance to antimicrobial agents. Dental plaque gives rise to highly prevalent and costly biofilm-related oral infections, which lead to caries or other types of oral infections. We investigated the ability of the recently identified anti-biofilm peptide 1018 to induce killing of bacterial cells present within oral multispecies biofilms. At 10 μg/ml (6.5 μM), peptide 1018 was able to significantly (pbiofilm formation over 3 days. The activity of the peptide on preformed biofilms was found to be concentration-dependent since more than 60% of the total plaque biofilm cell population was killed by 10 μg/ml of peptide 1018 in 3 days, while at 5 μg/ml 50% of cells were dead and at 1 μg/ml the peptide triggered cell death in around 30% of the total bacterial population, as revealed by confocal microscopy. The presence of saliva did not affect peptide activity, since no statistically significant difference was found in the ability of peptide 1018 to kill oral biofilms using either saliva coated and non-saliva coated hydroxyapatite surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy experiments indicated that peptide 1018 induced cell lysis in plaque biofilms. Furthermore, combined treatment using peptide 1018 and chlorhexidine (CHX) increased the anti-biofilm activity of each compound compared to when these were used alone, resulting in >50% of the biofilm being killed and >35% being dispersed in only 3 minutes. Peptide 1018 may potentially be used by itself or in combination with CHX as a non-toxic and effective anti-biofilm agent for plaque disinfection in clinical dentistry.

  15. Staphylococcus aureus biofilms: recent developments in biofilm dispersal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lister, Jessica L; Horswill, Alexander R

    2014-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections and represents a significant burden on the healthcare system. S. aureus attachment to medical implants and host tissue, and the establishment of a mature biofilm, play an important role in the persistence of chronic infections. The formation of a biofilm, and encasement of cells in a polymer-based matrix, decreases the susceptibility to antimicrobials and immune defenses, making these infections difficult to eradicate. During infection, dispersal of cells from the biofilm can result in spread to secondary sites and worsening of the infection. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the pathways behind biofilm dispersal in S. aureus, with a focus on enzymatic and newly described broad-spectrum dispersal mechanisms. Additionally, we explore potential applications of dispersal in the treatment of biofilm-mediated infections.

  16. Treatment of Oral Multispecies Biofilms by an Anti-Biofilm Peptide.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhejun Wang

    Full Text Available Human oral biofilms are multispecies microbial communities that exhibit high resistance to antimicrobial agents. Dental plaque gives rise to highly prevalent and costly biofilm-related oral infections, which lead to caries or other types of oral infections. We investigated the ability of the recently identified anti-biofilm peptide 1018 to induce killing of bacterial cells present within oral multispecies biofilms. At 10 μg/ml (6.5 μM, peptide 1018 was able to significantly (p50% of the biofilm being killed and >35% being dispersed in only 3 minutes. Peptide 1018 may potentially be used by itself or in combination with CHX as a non-toxic and effective anti-biofilm agent for plaque disinfection in clinical dentistry.

  17. The in vivo biofilm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Alhede, Maria; Alhede, Morten

    2013-01-01

    Bacteria can grow and proliferate either as single, independent cells or organized in aggregates commonly referred to as biofilms. When bacteria succeed in forming a biofilm within the human host, the infection often becomes very resistant to treatment and can develop into a chronic state. Biofilms...... have been studied for decades using various in vitro models, but it remains debatable whether such in vitro biofilms actually resemble in vivo biofilms in chronic infections. In vivo biofilms share several structural characteristics that differ from most in vitro biofilms. Additionally, the in vivo...... experimental time span and presence of host defenses differ from chronic infections and the chemical microenvironment of both in vivo and in vitro biofilms is seldom taken into account. In this review, we discuss why the current in vitro models of biofilms might be limited for describing infectious biofilms...

  18. Biofilm formation and adherence characteristics of an Elizabethkingia meningoseptica isolate from Oreochromis mossambicus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chenia Hafizah Y

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Elizabethkingia spp. are opportunistic pathogens often found associated with intravascular device-related bacteraemias and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Their ability to exist as biofilm structures has been alluded to but not extensively investigated. Methods The ability of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica isolate CH2B from freshwater tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus and E. meningoseptica strain NCTC 10016T to adhere to abiotic surfaces was investigated using microtiter plate adherence assays following exposure to varying physico-chemical challenges. The role of cell-surface properties was investigated using hydrophobicity (bacterial adherence to hydrocarbons, autoaggregation and coaggregation assays. The role of extracellular components in adherence was determined using reversal or inhibition of coaggregation assays in conjunction with Listeria spp. isolates, while the role of cell-free supernatants, from diverse bacteria, in inducing enhanced adherence was investigated using microtitre plate assays. Biofilm architecture of isolate CH2B alone as well as in co-culture with Listeria monocytogenes was investigated using flow cells and microscopy. Results E. meningoseptica isolates CH2B and NCTC 10016T demonstrated stronger biofilm formation in nutrient-rich medium compared to nutrient-poor medium at both 21 and 37°C, respectively. Both isolates displayed a hydrophilic cell surface following the bacterial adherence to xylene assay. Varying autoaggregation and coaggregation indices were observed for the E. meningoseptica isolates. Coaggregation by isolate CH2B appeared to be strongest with foodborne pathogens like Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Listeria spp. Partial inhibition of coaggregation was observed when isolate CH2B was treated with heat or protease exposure, suggesting the presence of heat-sensitive adhesins, although sugar treatment resulted in increased coaggregation and may be associated with a lactose

  19. Salmonella biofilms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Castelijn, G.A.A.

    2013-01-01

    Biofilm formation by Salmonellaspp. is a problem in the food industry, since biofilms may act as a persistent source of product contamination. Therefore the aim of this study was to obtain more insight in the processes involved and the factors contributing to Salmonellabiofilm

  20. Physics of biofilms: the initial stages of biofilm formation and dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, Guillaume; Bergman, Andrew; Zhang, Qiucen; Bortz, David; Austin, Robert

    2014-01-01

    One of the physiological responses of bacteria to external stress is to assemble into a biofilm. The formation of a biofilm greatly increases a bacterial population's resistance to a hostile environment by shielding cells, for example, from antibiotics. In this paper, we describe the conditions necessary for the emergence of biofilms in natural environments and relate them to the emergence of biofilm formation inside microfluidic devices. We show that competing species of Escherichia coli bacteria form biofilms to spatially segregate themselves in response to starvation stress, and use in situ methods to characterize the physical properties of the biofilms. Finally, we develop a microfluidic platform to study the inter-species interactions and show how biofilm-mediated genetic interactions can improve a species’ resistance to external stress. (paper)