Biosynthesis of modified peptidoglycan precursors by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium

In the presence of bacitracin, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (vanA phenotype) accumulate UDP-N-acetylmuramyl(UDP-Mur-NAc)-tetrapeptide and a UDP-MurNAc-depsipentapeptide containing lactate substituted for the carboxy-terminal-D-alanine residue. In an in vitro peptidoglycan polymerization assay, the modified precursors function and confer resistance to vancomycin.     

Co-transfer of two plasmids determining bacteriocin production and sucrose utilization in Streptococcus faecium

Abstract Streptococcus faecium strain 25 produced a bacteriocin (enterococcin Sf25), metabolized sucrose and contained three plasmids of 2.4, 4.7 and 13.0 MDa. Plasmids Sfp2.4 and Sfp4.7 were cotransferred in a filter mating procedure to sucrose negative and bacteriocin negative S. faecium strain M16. Strain M16 harboured a nonselftransferable plasmid Sfp 19.1 MDa, which was responsible for erythromycin resistance. Transcipient cells of S. faecium M16 contained the 19.1-MDa plasmid and plasmids Sfp2.4 and Sfp4.7, produced the enterococcin Sf25 and gained the ability to degrade sucrose.     

Induction of vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium by non-glycopeptide antibiotics

Abstract Bacitracin and other antibiotics that inhibit late stages in peptidoglycan biosynthesis induce vancomycin resistance in a high-level, inducibly vancomycin-resistant strain of Enterococcus faecium . Exposure to bacitracin led to synthesis of the lactate-containing UDP-MurNAc-pentadepsipeptide precursor required for vancomycin resistance. These findings indicate that inhibition of peptidoglycan biosynthesis can lead to induction of vancomycin resistance and raise the possibility that multiple signals may serve to induce resistance.     

Measuring the Effects of Bacteria on C. Elegans Behavior Using an Egg Retention Assay

C. elegans egg-laying behavior is affected by environmental cues such as osmolarity¹ and vibration². In the total absence of food C. elegans also cease egg-laying and retain fertilized eggs in their uterus³. However, the effect of different sources of food, especially pathogenic bacteria and particularly Enterococcus faecalis, on egg-laying behavior is not well characterized. The egg-in-worm (EIW) assay is a useful tool to quantify the effects of different types of bacteria, in this case E. faecalis, on egg- laying behavior.EIW assays involve counting the number of eggs retained in the uterus of C. elegans⁴. The EIW assay involves bleaching staged, gravid adult C. elegans to remove the cuticle and separate the retained eggs from the animal. Prior to bleaching, worms are exposed to bacteria (or any type of environmental cue) for a fixed period of time. After bleaching, one is very easily able to count the number of eggs retained inside the uterus of the worms. In this assay, a quantifiable increase in egg retention after E. faecalis exposure can be easily measured. The EIW assay is a behavioral assay that may be used to screen for potentially pathogenic bacteria or the presence of environmental toxins. In addition, the EIW assay may be a tool to screen for drugs that affect neurotransmitter signaling since egg-laying behavior is modulated by neurotransmitters such as serotonin and acetylcholine^5-9.     

Differences in sensitivity to NADH of purified pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes of Enterococcus faecalis, Lactococcus lactis, Azotobacter vinelandii and Escherichia coli: Implications for their activity in vivo

Abstract The effect of NADH on the activity of the purified pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes (PDHc) of Enterococcus (Ec.) faecalis, Lactococcus lactis, Azotobacter vinelandii and Escherichia coli was determined in vitro. It was found that the PDHc of E. coli and L. lactis was active only at relatively low NADH/NAD ratios, whereas the PDHc of Ec. faecalis was inhibited only at high NADH/NAD ratios. The PDHc of Azotobacter vinelandii showed an intermediate sensitivity. The organisms were grown in chemostat culture under conditions that led to different intracellular NADH/NAD ratios and the PDHc activities in vivo could be calculated from the specific rates of product formation. Under anaerobic growth conditions, only Ec. faecelis expressed PDHc activity in vivo. The activities in vivo of the complexes of the different organisms were in good agreement with their properties determined in vitro. The physiological consequences of these results are discussed.     

探讨屎肠球菌的VanA调控人正常结直肠 黏膜细胞FHC凋亡的机制

摘要：目的 探讨屎肠球菌的万古霉素替考拉宁A型抗性蛋白/D-丙氨酸-D-丙氨酸连接酶（Vancomycin Teicoplanin A-type resistance protein D-alanine-D-alanine ligase,vanA）调控人正常结直肠黏膜细胞FHC凋亡的机制。方法 在人正常结直肠黏膜细胞FHC中使用屎肠球菌感染,Annxin-V染色检测细胞凋亡情况。使用屎肠球菌的VanA蛋白刺激,检测FHC细胞凋亡情况、ROS水平以及ROS标志蛋白MDA、GSH和SOD的表达水平。ROS抑制Acetylcysteine处理VanA刺激的FHC细胞后,检测细胞凋亡相关蛋白的表达水平。结果 屎肠球菌与人正常结直肠黏膜细胞FHC共培养后,人正常结直肠黏膜细胞FHC的凋亡水平明显升高（t=2.876,P=0.045 2）,并且VanA蛋白能促进FHC凋亡水平（t=5.579,P=0.005 1）,同时细胞凋亡相关蛋白CLEAVED-CAS9、BAK的表达量上升,BCL-2的表达量下降。屎肠球菌的VanA蛋白刺激后,发现正常结直肠黏膜细胞FHC的ROS水平上升（t=10.190,P=0.000 5）,ROS标志蛋白MDA（t=4.315,P=0.012 5）和SOD（t=5.751,P=0.004 5）的表达水平上升,GSH（t=5.225,P=0.006 4）的表达水平下降,但是,ROS抑制剂Acetylcysteine能够抑制这种现象。结论 屎肠球菌的VanA通过提高细胞内ROS水平来促进人正常结直肠黏膜细胞FHC凋亡。