title: Identification of a genetic determinant in clinical Enterococcus faecium strains that contributes to intestinal colonization during antibiotic treatment.
abstract: Intestinal colonization by antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecium is the first step in a process that can lead to infections in hospitalized patients. By comparative genome analysis and subsequent polymerase chain reaction screening, we identified a locus that encodes a putative phosphotransferase system (PTS). The PTS locus was widespread in isolates from hospital outbreaks of infection (84.2%) and nonoutbreak clinical infections (66.0%) but absent from human commensal isolates. Deletion of pstD, which is predicted to encode the enzyme IID subunit of this PTS, significantly impaired the ability of E. faecium to colonize the murine intestinal tract during antibiotic treatment. This is the first description of a determinant that contributes to intestinal colonization in clinical E. faecium strains.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Xinglin
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Janetta
authors: J
authors: Top
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: de Been
authors: Damien
authors: D
authors: Bierschenk
authors: Malbert
authors: M
authors: Rogers
authors: Masja
authors: M
authors: Leendertse
authors: Marc J M
authors: MJ
authors: Bonten
authors: Tom
authors: T
authors: van der Poll
authors: Rob J L
authors: RJ
authors: Willems
authors: Willem
authors: W
authors: van Schaik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors; D010770:Phosphotransferases