TABLE 2.
Enterococcus virulence factors identified
| Gene(s) | Role of product in virulence | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|
| agg | Aggregation protein involved in adherence to eukaryotic cells; cell aggregation and conjugation | 14, 44 |
| gelE | Toxin; extracellular metalloendopeptidase, hydrolyzes gelatin, collagen, hemoglobin, and other bioactive compounds | 39 |
| cylLv cylLs | Cytolysin (hemolysin-bacteriocin) precursor; expression of cylLv-Ls, -M, -B, and -A is required for production of active cytolysin which lyses a broad range of eukaryotic and gram-positive cells | 16 |
| cylM | Posttranslational modification of cytolysin | 16 |
| cylB | Transport of cytolysin | 16 |
| cylA | Activation of cytolysin | 16 |
| esp | Cell wall-associated protein involved in immune evasion; may be associated with cyl genes on a pathogenicity island | 35, 36 |
| efaAfs; efaAfm | Cell wall adhesins expressed in serum by E. faecalis and E. faecium, respectively | 29, 38 |
| cpd, cob, ccf, cad | Sex pheromones, chemotactic for human leukocytes; facilitate conjugation | 7, 11 |