Differentiation of some enterococci by gas chromatography

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Bacterial Taxonomy

Background:

• Enterococci are Gram-positive bacteria commonly found in various environments.
• Fatty acid profiling is a valuable tool for bacterial identification and classification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare the relative fatty acid compositions of different enterococci strains.
• To investigate potential correlations between fatty acid profiles and the source (plant, animal, human) of enterococci.

Main Methods:

• Gas chromatography was employed to determine the fatty acid composition of 37 enterococci strains.
• Comparative analysis of fatty acid patterns was performed across different species and subspecies.

Main Results:

• Streptococcus faecalis, S. faecium, and S. faecium var. durans exhibited similar fatty acid patterns.
• Strains of S. faecium var. casseliflavus and a motile yellow-pigmented streptococcus showed significantly lower levels of C(19:0) cyclopropane fatty acid and contained unidentified components.
• No significant variations in fatty acid patterns were observed based on the source of the enterococci (plant, animal, or human).

Conclusions:

• Relative fatty acid composition can differentiate certain enterococci strains, particularly S. faecium var. casseliflavus.
• Bacterial fatty acid profiles are not significantly influenced by the ecological niche or host origin in the studied enterococci.