In vitro adhesive properties and virulence factors of Enterococcusfaecalis strains.
Twenty-nine Enterococcus faecalis isolates from patients with endocarditis or bacteremia or from stools of healthy volunteers were investigated for their ability to adhere to Int-407 and Girardi heart cell lines and for the presence of known enterococcal virulence factors. Eight strains (27.6%) adhered predominantly to Int-407 cells. The adherence of enterococci was enhanced by proteolytic digestion, suggesting that some cell binding components become surface-exposed after treatment with trypsin. The occurrence of known potential virulence factors of enterococci among these strains was determined and was as follows: enterococcal surface protein (72.4%), gelatinase (58.6%), aggregation substance (48.3%) and cytolysin (17.2%). Bacterial adherence was not significantly associated with any of these virulence factors.
Archimbaud
Christine
C
Laboratoire de Bactériologie-Virologie, Université d'Auvergne, Faculté de Pharmacie, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Christine.ARCHIMBAUD@u-clermont1.fr
Shankar
Nathan
N
Forestier
Christiane
C
Baghdayan
Arto
A
Gilmore
Michael S
MS
Charbonné
Françoise
F
Joly
Bernard
B
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D014357:Trypsin