Bacteriocin distribution patterns in Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus lactis: bioinformatic analysis using a...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Genomics
• Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

• Multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium is a significant threat, causing severe infections.
• Bacteriocin contribution to E. faecium adaptability is poorly understood.
• E. faecium is a known bacteriocin producer within the Bacillota phylum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate bacteriocin distribution in E. faecium and Enterococcus lactis genomes.
• To develop a precise database for identifying Bacillota bacteriocins.
• To explore the link between bacteriocins, antibiotic resistance, and mobile genetic elements.

Main Methods:

• Development of a tailored database for 76 Bacillota bacteriocins.
• Application of the database to 997 E. faecium and E. lactis genomes.
• Computational analysis combined with literature mining and epidemiological data.

Main Results:

• A novel database showed high precision in bacteriocin identification.
• Distinct bacteriocin profiles were observed between E. faecium and E. lactis.
• Hospital-acquired E. faecium strains were enriched in specific bacteriocins (enterocin A, bacteriocins 43, AS5, AS11).
• Bacteriocin genes correlated with antibiotic resistance (vancomycin, ampicillin) and specific plasmids.

Conclusions:

• Bacteriocins enhance E. faecium adaptability and fitness in nosocomial environments.
• Bacteriocin production may aid plasmid maintenance and transmission.
• Understanding bacteriocin landscapes can inform strategies against high-risk clones and reveal therapeutic potential.