[Detection of pathogenicity island-associated genes in enterococcal isolates].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the presence of pathogenicity island (PAI)-associated genes in the enterococcal isolates.


METHODS
Using PCR and hybridization methods, PAI-associated genes were detected in 155 enteococcal strains isolated from clinical patients and healthy individuals.


RESULTS
Among the 155 enterococcal isolates, 137 (88.39%) carried at least one of PAI-associated genes, namely hyd (positivity rate of 81.94%), psaA (78.06%), nuc (57.42%), esp (53.55%), cylB (52.90%), and gls24-like (38.06%) genes. Expect for esp gene, the other 5 genes showed higher positivity rates in the E. faecalis strains than in the E. faecium strains, and this difference was statistically significant for the genes nuc, cylB, and gls24-like. The positivity rates and the number of these genes in the E. faecalis from clinical isolates were both significantly higher than those in the strains isolated from healthy individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
The data show a wide distribution of the PAI-associated genes among the enterococcal strains, and E. faecalis strains are more likely than E. faecium strains to be positive for the 6 genes, which are present at significant higher rates in the clinically isolated samples than in that from healthy individuals.
Wu
Min
M
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Chen
Yi-Zhong
YZ
Hu
Zu-Qiong
ZQ
Jiang
Ling-Xiao
LX
Chen
Qing
Q
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D044404:Genomic Islands / Q000235:genetics*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C116707:enterococcal surface protein, esp