title: Structure, function, and biology of the Enterococcus faecalis cytolysin.
abstract: Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive commensal member of the gut microbiota of a wide range of organisms. With the advent of antibiotic therapy, it has emerged as a multidrug resistant, hospital-acquired pathogen. Highly virulent strains of E. faecalis express a pore-forming exotoxin, called cytolysin, which lyses both bacterial and eukaryotic cells in response to quorum signals. Originally described in the 1930s, the cytolysin is a member of a large class of lanthionine-containing bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive bacteria. While the cytolysin shares some core features with other lantibiotics, it possesses unique characteristics as well. The current understanding of cytolysin biosynthesis, structure/function relationships, and contribution to the biology of E. faecalis are reviewed, and opportunities for using emerging technologies to advance this understanding are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Tyne
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gilmore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D001430:Bacteriocins; C120351:cytolysin, Enterococcus faecalis