The Enterococcus faecalis cytolysin determinant and its relationship to those encoding lantibiotics

The E. faecalis cytolysin represents a new class of cytolytic agents which are related to a family of antibacterial peptides termed lantibiotics. Despite considerable similarity at the genetic level, the E. faecalis cytolysin differs from the lantibiotics in several respects. First, the E. faecalis cytolysin consists of two dissimilar precursors, both of which are required to effect target cell lysis. A second important difference is that the E. faecalis cytolysin is active against eukaryotic as well as Gram-positive prokaryotic cells. Originally identified as a haemolysin [32], the E. faecalis cytolysin has been shown to make a contribution to bacterial virulence in endocarditis [8, 33] and endophthalmitis [7] models, and the cytolytic phenotype is enriched among clinical isolates of the organism [2, 3]. Similarities between the E. faecalis cytolysin and lantibiotics such as nisin (which is used as a food preservative in several countries [34] and is the subject of continuing attempts at rational design of lantibiotic-based food preservatives [25]), and the observation of an association between the E. faecalis cytolysin and bacterial virulence indicate that it may be possible to engineer lantibiotics to a point where undesired toxic or cytolytic activities will arise. Further comparison of the chemical, structural and biological properties of the E. faecalis cytolysin and classical lantibiotics will define these limits.