title: Comparative genomic analysis reveals significant enrichment of mobile genetic elements and genes encoding surface structure-proteins in hospital-associated clonal complex 2 Enterococcus faecalis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enterococci rank among the leading causes of nosocomial infections. The failure to identify pathogen-specific genes in Enterococcus faecalis has led to a hypothesis where the virulence of different strains may be linked to strain-specific genes, and where the combined endeavor of the different gene-sets result in the ability to cause infection. Population structure studies by multilocus sequence typing have defined distinct clonal complexes (CC) of E. faecalis enriched in hospitalized patients (CC2, CC9, CC28 and CC40).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the present study, we have used a comparative genomic approach to investigate gene content in 63 E. faecalis strains, with a special focus on CC2. Statistical analysis using Fisher's exact test revealed 252 significantly enriched genes among CC2-strains. The majority of these genes were located within the previously defined mobile elements phage03 (n = 51), efaB5 (n = 34) and a vanB associated genomic island (n = 55). Moreover, a CC2-enriched genomic islet (EF3217 to -27), encoding a putative phage related element within the V583 genome, was identified. From the draft genomes of CC2-strains HH22 and TX0104, we also identified a CC2-enriched non-V583 locus associated with the E. faecalis pathogenicity island (PAI). Interestingly, surface related structures (including MSCRAMMs, internalin-like and WxL protein-coding genes) implicated in virulence were significantly overrepresented (9.1%; p = 0.036, Fisher's exact test) among the CC2-enriched genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, we have identified a set of genes with potential roles in adaptation or persistence in the hospital environment, and that might contribute to the ability of CC2 E. faecalis isolates to cause disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Gene Technology and Food Microbiology, Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, N-1432 Ås, Norway. margrete.solheim@umb.no
authors.forename: Margrete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solheim
authors.forename: Mari C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Brekke
authors.forename: Lars G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Snipen
authors.forename: Rob J L
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.forename: Ingolf F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Nes
authors.forename: Dag A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Brede
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D044404:Genomic Islands; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins