Sensitivity to detergents and plasmid curing in Enterococcus faecalis.
This research reports the sensitivity of a clinical isolate of Enterococcus faecalis to sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate (sarkosyl) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), as well as the efficiency of these detergents in curing the strain. Compared to Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis was very sensitive to both detergents, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for the latter being 100 times lower than for Escherichia coli. The clinical isolate of Enterococcus faecalis used in this study exhibited plasmid-borne resistance to kanamycin (MIC 2 mg/ml) and tetracycline (MIC 50 mug/ml); 3% curing was observed after growth in the presence of sarkosyl but no curing was observed after growth in the presence of either SDS or acridine orange. In contrast, 35% curing of plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli was observed after growth in the presence of either SDS or acridine orange, but none was observed after growth in the presence of sarkosyl.
Laboratory for Life Sciences, Saadat Abade, Sarve Sharghi 34, 19979, Tehran, Iran. keyhanie@ibb.ut.ac.ir
Jacqueline
J
Keyhani
Ezzatollah
E
Keyhani
Farnoosh
F
Attar
Azam
A
Haddadi
D000165:Acridine Orange / Q000494:pharmacology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D007613:Kanamycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010957:Plasmids / Q000187:drug effects*; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; C025231:sarkosyl; D000165:Acridine Orange; D012521:Sarcosine