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Distribution of genes encoding MSCRAMMs and Pili in clinical and natural populations of Enterococcus faecium

Jouko Sillanpää1, Vittal P Prakash, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA. bem.asst@uth.tmc.edu

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|February 6, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Surface protein genes are more common in clinical Enterococcus faecium strains, suggesting adaptation to hospital environments. This finding is crucial for understanding and combating nosocomial infections caused by this bacterium.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Enterococcus faecium is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections.
  • Previous work identified 15 potential surface protein genes in E. faecium.
  • The acm gene was previously studied in detail.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of 14 E. faecium surface protein genes in different bacterial populations.
  • To investigate the association of these genes with clinical versus non-clinical isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 433 E. faecium isolates from clinical, hospitalized patient stool, community volunteer stool, and animal sources.
  • Assessed the presence of 14 specific E. faecium surface protein genes using molecular methods.

Main Results:

  • A variable distribution of the 14 genes was observed, ranging from 51% to 98% prevalence.
  • Clinical isolates predominantly carried 13 or 14 genes (81%), unlike community (0%) or animal (13%) isolates.
  • The number of genes significantly associated with clinical origin varied from 10 to 13.

Conclusions:

  • The high prevalence of these surface protein genes in clinical E. faecium suggests their role in adaptation to nosocomial environments.
  • These genes may contribute to the bacterium's ability to cause infections in hospitalized patients.
  • Further research into these genes could inform strategies for controlling E. faecium infections.

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