Abstract
Hemolysin production, clumping (pheromone) response, transferability of the hemolytic trait, and drug resistance were examined in 97 clinical isolates of Enterococcus (Streptococcus) faecalis. The isolates were derived from various sources (i.e., urine, pus, vagina, sputum, bile, and blood), and approximately 60% were found to be hemolytic. About 85% of the hemolytic strains exhibited a clumping response, compared with about 49% of the nonhemolytic strains. Over 50% of the hemolytic strains carried transferable hemolysin determinants, and in no case were drug resistance genes linked. The hemolytic strains exhibited multiple drug resistance more frequently than did the nonhemolytic strains. In contrast to the high frequency of hemolysin producers among parenteral isolates, strains derived from fecal specimens of healthy individuals exhibited a low (17%) incidence of hemolysin production.
Full text
PDF![1524](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/6252/269262/4e0241dea903/jcm00092-0196.png)
![1525](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/6252/269262/7251efb48cd5/jcm00092-0197.png)
![1526](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/6252/269262/3e3106603b39/jcm00092-0198.png)
![1527](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/6252/269262/176fe085ee22/jcm00092-0199.png)
![1528](https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/6252/269262/1b490527d1f3/jcm00092-0200.png)
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BROCK T. D., DAVIE J. M. PROBABLE IDENTITY OF A GROUP D HEMOLYSIN WITH A BACTERIOCINE. J Bacteriol. 1963 Oct;86:708–712. doi: 10.1128/jb.86.4.708-712.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Basinger S. F., Jackson R. W. Bacteriocin (hemolysin) of Streptococcus zymogenes. J Bacteriol. 1968 Dec;96(6):1895–1902. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.6.1895-1902.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Clewell D. B., Brown B. L. Sex pheromone cAD1 in Streptococcus faecalis: induction of a function related to plasmid transfer. J Bacteriol. 1980 Aug;143(2):1063–1065. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.2.1063-1065.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Clewell D. B. Plasmids, drug resistance, and gene transfer in the genus Streptococcus. Microbiol Rev. 1981 Sep;45(3):409–436. doi: 10.1128/mr.45.3.409-436.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Clewell D. B., Tomich P. K., Gawron-Burke M. C., Franke A. E., Yagi Y., An F. Y. Mapping of Streptococcus faecalis plasmids pAD1 and pAD2 and studies relating to transposition of Tn917. J Bacteriol. 1982 Dec;152(3):1220–1230. doi: 10.1128/jb.152.3.1220-1230.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cooke E. M., Ewins S. P. Properties of strains of Escherichia coli isolated from a variety of sources. J Med Microbiol. 1975 Feb;8(1):107–111. doi: 10.1099/00222615-8-1-107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dunny G. M., Brown B. L., Clewell D. B. Induced cell aggregation and mating in Streptococcus faecalis: evidence for a bacterial sex pheromone. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jul;75(7):3479–3483. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.7.3479. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dunny G. M., Clewell D. B. Transmissible toxin (hemolysin) plasmid in Streptococcus faecalis and its mobilization of a noninfectious drug resistance plasmid. J Bacteriol. 1975 Nov;124(2):784–790. doi: 10.1128/jb.124.2.784-790.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dunny G. M., Craig R. A., Carron R. L., Clewell D. B. Plasmid transfer in Streptococcus faecalis: production of multiple sex pheromones by recipients. Plasmid. 1979 Jul;2(3):454–465. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(79)90029-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Facklam R. R. Recognition of group D streptococcal species of human origin by biochemical and physiological tests. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Jun;23(6):1131–1139. doi: 10.1128/am.23.6.1131-1139.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Franke A. E., Clewell D. B. Evidence for conjugal transfer of a Streptococcus faecalis transposon (Tn916) from a chromosomal site in the absence of plasmid DNA. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1981;45(Pt 1):77–80. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1981.045.01.014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Granato P. A., Jackson R. W. Bicomponent nature of lysin from Streptococcus zymogenes. J Bacteriol. 1969 Nov;100(2):865–868. doi: 10.1128/jb.100.2.865-868.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ike Y., Clewell D. B. Genetic analysis of the pAD1 pheromone response in Streptococcus faecalis, using transposon Tn917 as an insertional mutagen. J Bacteriol. 1984 Jun;158(3):777–783. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.3.777-783.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ike Y., Craig R. A., White B. A., Yagi Y., Clewell D. B. Modification of Streptococcus faecalis sex pheromones after acquisition of plasmid DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Sep;80(17):5369–5373. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.17.5369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ike Y., Hashimoto H., Clewell D. B. Hemolysin of Streptococcus faecalis subspecies zymogenes contributes to virulence in mice. Infect Immun. 1984 Aug;45(2):528–530. doi: 10.1128/iai.45.2.528-530.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jacob A. E., Hobbs S. J. Conjugal transfer of plasmid-borne multiple antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes. J Bacteriol. 1974 Feb;117(2):360–372. doi: 10.1128/jb.117.2.360-372.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LeBlanc D. J., Lee L. N., Clewell D. B., Behnke D. Broad geographical distribution of a cytotoxin gene mediating beta-hemolysis and bacteriocin activity among Streptococcus faecalis strains. Infect Immun. 1983 Jun;40(3):1015–1022. doi: 10.1128/iai.40.3.1015-1022.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Minshew B. H., Jorgensen J., Counts G. W., Falkow S. Association of hemolysin production, hemagglutination of human erythrocytes, and virulence for chicken embryos of extraintestinal Escherichia coli isolates. Infect Immun. 1978 Apr;20(1):50–54. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.1.50-54.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Parker M. T., Ball L. C. Streptococci and aerococci associated with systemic infection in man. J Med Microbiol. 1976 Aug;9(3):275–302. doi: 10.1099/00222615-9-3-275. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tomich P. K., An F. Y., Clewell D. B. Properties of erythromycin-inducible transposon Tn917 in Streptococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol. 1980 Mar;141(3):1366–1374. doi: 10.1128/jb.141.3.1366-1374.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tomich P. K., An F. Y., Damle S. P., Clewell D. B. Plasmid-related transmissibility and multiple drug resistance in Streptococcus faecalis subsp. zymogenes strain DS16. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Jun;15(6):828–830. doi: 10.1128/aac.15.6.828. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yagi Y., Kessler R. E., Shaw J. H., Lopatin D. E., An F., Clewell D. B. Plasmid content of Streptococcus faecalis strain 39-5 and identification of a pheromone (cPD1)-induced surface antigen. J Gen Microbiol. 1983 Apr;129(4):1207–1215. doi: 10.1099/00221287-129-4-1207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]