Induction of vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium by inhibition of transglycosylation

Vancomycin resistance has recently been recognized among clinical isolates of enterococci. Resistance is inducible, and associated with production of a novel 39 kDa membrane protein. The mechanism by which exposure to vancomycin, which does not penetrate the cell membrane, induces resistance is unknown. In the vancomycin resistant strain Enterococcus faecium 228, resistance was also inducible by moenomycin, suggesting that inhibition of the transglycosylation step in peptidoglycan synthesis may be required for induction of resistance. Cytoplasmic pools of peptidoglycan precursors were increased after exposure to vancomycin or moenomycin, representing a potential means for regulation of induction.     

Evolution of structure and substrate specificity ind-alanine:d-Alanine ligases and related enzymes

Thed-alanine:d-alanine-ligase-related enzymes can have three preferential substrate specificities. Usually, these enzymes synthesized-alanyl-d-alanine. In vancomycin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, structurally related enzymes synthesized-alanyl-d-lactate or Dalanyl-d-serine. The sequence of internal fragments of eight structurald-alanine:d-alanine ligase genes from enterococci has been determined. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences with those of other related enzymes from Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria revealed the presence of four distinct sequence patterns in the putative substrate-binding sites, each correlating with specificity to a particular substrate (d-alanine:d-lactate ligases exhibited two patterns). Phylogenetic analysis showed different clusters. The enterococcal subtree was largely superimposable on that derived from 16S rRNA sequences. In lactic acid bacteria, structural divergence due to differences in substrate specificity was observed. Glycopeptide resistance proteins VanA and VanB, the VanC-type ligases, and Dd1A and DdlB from enteric bacteria andHaemophilus influenzae constituted separate clusters. Correspondence to: P. Courvalin     

Antimicrobial defense mechanisms in the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus: preliminary observations with heat-derived extracts of Limulus amoebocyte lysate.

Heat-derived (60°C) extracts of Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) were found to contain potent “broad-spectrum” antimicrobial activity. Additional heating of the LAL extracts to 100°C for 30 min completely inactivated the antimicrobial activity and served as a control. Antimicrobial activity was observed over a temperature range of 0° to 37°C (higher temperatures not tested) with greatest activity at 37°C. Antimicrobial activity of LAL extracts was variable when tested against Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. A twofold concentration of the extracts resulted in a significant decrease in antimicrobial effectiveness. Dialysis of single- and double-strength LAL extracts against deionized water produced a marked and significant enhancement of antimicrobial activity against both resistant and sensitive species, confirming the presence of a dialyzable inhibitor(s). Dialyzed LAL extracts were active against 13 of 14 species of Enterobacteriaceae tested. Two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were susceptible as were two of three Gram-positive cocci tested. Highly sensitive bacterial species were rapidly killed with a greater than 90% reduction in viable counts occurring within the first 30 min of reaction time. Dialyzed LAL extracts also possessed considerable antifungal activity. The role of the Limulus polyphemus amoebocyte in defense against microbial invasion and dissemination is discussed.     

Serological identification of group D streptococci using commercial antisera

Three commercial group D streptococcal antisera were tested for the serological identification of 100 group D enterococci; 20 Streptococcus bovis; 5 isolated from each of the following streptococcal groups: A, B, C and G; and 3 isolates from serological group F. Antisera from Difco Laboratories, BBL, and Wellcome Reagents Limited were used in the classic capillary tube precipitin test on extracts prepared using the Rantz and Randall procedure. No false positive precipitin reactions were observed. Of the enterococcal isolates, all 100 reacted with the Wellcome, 99 reacted with the BBL, and 96 reacted with the Difco group D antisera. However, of the 20 S. bovis isolates, only 2 reacted with the BBL, and 1 reacted with both the Difco and the Wellcome antisera. Each antiserum was then used to prepare staphylococcal coagglutination (CoA) reagents and each isolate was subsequently tested. A simple extraction procedure was performed by suspending colonies of an isolate in a loopful of salin on a microscope slide and gently heating the slide directly in the flame of a Bunsen burner. All 100 enterococci and all 20 S. bovis gave positive results with the BBL and the Wellcome CoA reagents. Using the Difco reagent, 2 S. bovis isolates failed to produce postitive results. No false positive results were observed with the non-Group D isolates. Our results indicate that the CoA technique using commercial group D antisera may provide faster and sometimes more sensitive serological identification than the classic capillary tube precipitin test.     

粪肠球菌精氨酸脱亚胺酶酶学性质研究

经硫酸铵分级沉淀、Q-Sepharose Fast Flow阴离子交换层析、SephadexG-75凝胶柱层析从NJ402自溶细胞超声破碎液中提纯得到精氨酸脱亚胺酶(ADI),纯化倍数为34.5,活力回收率为31.4%,经SDS-PAGE以及Native-PAGE测定结果表明,ADI亚基分子量约为46 kD,该酶非变性情况下的分子量约为190 kD左右,该酶为同四聚体结构.酶学,胜质研究结果表明:ADI催化最适温度和最适pH分别为50℃和6.5,在45℃以下和pH 5～8之间有很好的稳定性.ADI是L-型脱亚胺酶,具有严格的光学选择性,适当浓度的Mn2 、Mg2 、Co2 对ADI催化活力的促进作用较大,高浓度的Zn2 和Co2 对酶有一定程度的抑制作用,L-瓜氨酸对酶无抑制作用而L-鸟氨酸却表现出较强的抑制作用.ADI在最佳催化条件下作用于L-精氨酸的米氏常数为3.2686 mmol/L,最大反应速度为2.44 μmol/min.     

粪肠球菌噬菌体vB_E. faecalis_IME196的生物学特性及其全基因组分析

【目的】从医院污水中分离一株能裂解多耐药粪肠球菌的噬菌体,分析该噬菌体的生物学特性,并进行全基因组测序和分析,为治疗和控制多耐药粪肠球菌感染提供基础。【方法】以耐药粪肠球菌为宿主,从医院污水分离噬菌体,双层平板法检测噬菌体效价、最佳感染复数(MOI)和一步生长曲线,纯化后负染法电镜观察噬菌体形态;蛋白酶K/SDS法提取噬菌体全基因组,酶切处理后琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析,使用Ion Torrent测序平台进行噬菌体全基因组测序,测序后进行噬菌体全基因组序列组装、注释、进化分析和比较分析。【结果】分离到一株粪肠球菌噬菌体,命名为v B_E.faecalis_IME196(IME196);其最佳感染复数为0.01,一步生长曲线显示IME196的潜伏期为30 min,暴发量为50 PFU,电镜观察该噬菌体为长尾噬菌体,结合BLASTp分析确定其属于尾病毒目长尾噬菌体科,基因测序表明,噬菌体IME196核酸类型为DNA,基因组全长为38 895 bp,G+C含量为33.9%。【结论】分离鉴定一株粪肠球菌噬菌体,进行了全基因组测序和分析,为以后预防和控制粪肠球菌的感染提供了一个新的途径,为噬菌体治疗多重耐药细菌奠定了基础。     

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.     

Chemiluminescence of enterococci isolates from freshwater

All Enterococcus spp., isolated from environmental water samples (n=81), emitted a high chemiluminescence signal in the presence of luminol (10(-2) M). Kinetic studies of chemiluminescence show a close correlation between chemiluminescence and growth curves during the exponential phase, with a maximum chemiluminescence reached just before bacterial growth entered in the stationary phase. On the other hand, genera closely related to Enterococcus such as Streptococcus or Lactococcus produced a very weak chemiluminescent signal. Chemiluminescence of enterococci could therefore offer a rapid test, in aiding the identification of the genus Enterococcus and in the survey of the microbiological quality of water supplies.     

Molecular basis for substrate recognition and septum cleavage by AtlA,the major N-acetylglucosaminidase of Enterococcus faecalis

The cleavage of septal peptidoglycan at the end of cell division facilitates the separation of the two daughter cells. The hydrolases involved in this process (called autolysins) are potentially lethal enzymes that can cause cell death; their activity, therefore, must be tightly controlled during cell growth. In Enterococcus faecalis, the N-acetylglucosaminidase AtlA plays a predominant role in cell separation. atlA mutants form long cell chains and are significantly less virulent in the zebrafish model of infection. The attenuated virulence of atlA mutants is underpinned by a limited dissemination of bacterial chains in the host organism and a more efficient uptake by phagocytes that clear the infection. AtlA has structural homologs in other important pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium, and therefore represents an attractive model to design new inhibitors of bacterial pathogenesis. Here, we provide a 1.45 Å crystal structure of the E. faecalis AtlA catalytic domain that reveals a closed conformation of a conserved β-hairpin and a complex network of hydrogen bonds that bring two catalytic residues to the ideal distance for an inverting mechanism. Based on the model of the AtlA–substrate complex, we identify key residues critical for substrate recognition and septum cleavage during bacterial growth. We propose that this work will provide useful information for the rational design of specific inhibitors targeting this enterococcal virulence factor and its orthologs in other pathogens.