Characterization of two tetracycline resistance determinants in Streptococcus faecalis JH1

The fsr Quorum-Sensing System and Cognate Gelatinase Orchestrate the Expression and Processing of Proprotein EF_1097 into the Mature Antimicrobial Peptide Enterocin O16

A novel antimicrobial peptide designated enterocin O16 was purified from Enterococcus faecalis. Mass spectrometry showed a monoisotopic mass of 7,231 Da, and N-terminal Edman degradation identified a 29-amino-acid sequence corresponding to residues 90 to 119 of the EF_1097 protein. Bioinformatic analysis showed that enterocin O16 is composed of the 68 most C-terminal residues of the EF_1097 protein. Introduction of an in-frame isogenic deletion in the ef1097 gene abolished the production of enterocin O16. Enterocin O16 has a narrow inhibitory spectrum, as it inhibits mostly lactobacilli. Apparently, E. faecalis is intrinsically resistant to the antimicrobial peptide, as no immunity connected to the production of enterocin O16 could be identified. ef1097 has previously been identified as one of three loci regulated by the fsr quorum-sensing system. The introduction of a nonsense mutation into fsrB consistently impaired enterocin O16 production, but externally added gelatinase biosynthesis-activating pheromone restored the antimicrobial activity. Functional genetic analysis showed that the EF_1097 proprotein is processed extracellularly into enterocin O16 by the metalloprotease GelE. Thus, it is evident that the fsr quorum-sensing system constitutes the regulatory unit that controls the expression of the EF_1097 precursor protein and the protease GelE and that the latter is required for the formation of enterocin O16. On the basis of these results, this study identified antibacterial antagonism as a novel aspect related to the function of fsr and provides a rationale for why ef1097 is part of the fsr regulon.

IMPORTANCE

The fsr quorum-sensing system modulates important physiological functions in E. faecalis via the activity of GelE. The present study presents a new facet of fsr signaling. The system controls the expression of three primary target operons (fsrABCD, gelE-sprE, and ef1097-ef1097b). We demonstrate that the concerted expression of these operons constitutes the elements necessary for the production of a bacteriocin-type peptide and that antimicrobial antagonism is an intrinsic function of fsr. The bacteriocin enterocin O16 consists of the 68 most C-terminal residues of the EF_1097 secreted proprotein. The GelE protease processes the EF_1097 proprotein into enterocin O16. In this manner, fsr signaling enables E. faecalis populations to express antimicrobial activity in a cell density-dependent manner.

In vivo assessment of growth and virulence gene expression during commensal and pathogenic lifestyles of luxABCDE-tagged Enterococcus faecalis strains in murine gastrointestinal and intravenous infection models

Cytolysin and gelatinase are prominent pathogenicity determinants associated with highly virulent Enterococcus faecalis strains. In an effort to explore the expression profiles of these virulence traits in vivo, we have employed E. faecalis variants expressing the luxABCDE cassette under the control of either the P16S, cytolysin, or gelatinase promoter for infections of Galleria mellonella caterpillars and mice. Systemic infection of G. mellonella with bioluminescence-tagged E. faecalis MMH594 revealed temporal regulation of both gelatinase and cytolysin promoters and demonstrated that these traits were induced in response to the host environment. Gavage of mice pretreated perorally with antibiotics resulted in efficient colonization of the murine gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in a strain-dependent manner, where the commensal baby isolate EF62 was more persistent than the nosocomial isolate MMH594. A highly significant correlation (R(2) > 0.94) was found between bioluminescence and the CFU counts in mouse fecal samples. Both strains showed similar preferences for growth and persistence in the ileum, cecum, and colon. Cytolysin expression was uniform in these compartments of the intestinal lumen. In spite of high numbers (10(9) CFU/g of intestinal matter) in the ileum, cecum, and colon, no evidence of translocation or systemic infection could be observed. In the murine intravenous infection model, cytolysin expression was readily detected in the liver, kidneys, and bladder. At 72 h postinfection, the highest bacterial loads were found in the liver, kidneys, and spleen, with organ-specific expression levels of cytolysin ~400- and ~900-fold higher in the spleen and heart, respectively, than in the liver and kidneys. Taken together, this system based on the bioluminescence imaging technology is established as a new, powerful method to monitor the differential regulation of E. faecalis virulence determinants and to study the spatiotemporal course of infection in living animals in real time.

Diversity of the fsr-gelE region of the Enterococcus faecalis genome but conservation in strains with partial deletions of the fsr operon

Most Enterococcus faecalis isolates carry gelE, but many are gelatinase nonproducers due to the lack of fsrC (EF_1820) to EF_1841 (fsrC-EF_1841; 23.9 kb in strain V583), including most of the locus encoding Fsr, which activates gelE expression. Analysis of 22 accessible E. faecalis genomes revealed the identity of the 53-amino-acid propeptide of fsrD across multiple MLSTs (multilocus sequence types), although 12 distinctly different variations were found in the EF_1814-to-EF_1902 region. Diversity was seen in fsrABC, in the region EF_1814 to EF_1902, and in a 700-kb region surrounding fsrC-EF_1841. However, analysis of five sequenced strains carrying the fsrC-EF_1841 deletion and the putative integrative conjugative element efaB5 showed almost identical single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in gelE and an identical junction sequence, despite their unrelated MLSTs, in contrast to those shown by strains without the deletion. Further analysis confirmed the conserved gelE SNPs in 6 additional strains (11 in total) with the deletion. While we were unable to detect evidence of spontaneous deletion using OG1RF and 8 other strains, we were able to engineer a deletion of the 37-kb fsrC-EF_1841 region of OG1RF without deleterious effects, and the 37-kb mutant showed changes in biofilm and chaining similar to those shown by fsr-gelE mutants. In conclusion, we describe the identity of fsrD despite high plasticity within the fsrC-EF_1841 region and the surrounding sequence. However, strains lacking the fsrC-EF_1841 region show a distinct conservation of the sequence surrounding this deletion and in gelE, suggesting that the deletion may result from horizontal transfer and recombination.

Genetic diversity among Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis, a ubiquitous member of mammalian gastrointestinal flora, is a leading cause of nosocomial infections and a growing public health concern. The enterococci responsible for these infections are often resistant to multiple antibiotics and have become notorious for their ability to acquire and disseminate antibiotic resistances. In the current study, we examined genetic relationships among 106 strains of E. faecalis isolated over the past 100 years, including strains identified for their diversity and used historically for serotyping, strains that have been adapted for laboratory use, and isolates from previously described E. faecalis infection outbreaks. This collection also includes isolates first characterized as having novel plasmids, virulence traits, antibiotic resistances, and pathogenicity island (PAI) components. We evaluated variation in factors contributing to pathogenicity, including toxin production, antibiotic resistance, polymorphism in the capsule (cps) operon, pathogenicity island (PAI) gene content, and other accessory factors. This information was correlated with multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) data, which was used to define genetic lineages. Our findings show that virulence and antibiotic resistance traits can be found within many diverse lineages of E. faecalis. However, lineages have emerged that have caused infection outbreaks globally, in which several new antibiotic resistances have entered the species, and in which virulence traits have converged. Comparing genomic hybridization profiles, using a microarray, of strains identified by MLST as spanning the diversity of the species, allowed us to identify the core E. faecalis genome as consisting of an estimated 2057 unique genes.

Characterization of the arginine deiminase operon of Streptococcus rattus FA-1

The arginine deiminase system (ADS) is of critical importance in oral biofilm pH homeostasis and microbial ecology. The ADS consists of three enzymes. Arginine is hydrolyzed by AD (ArcA) to generate citrulline and ammonia. Citrulline is then converted to ornithine and carbamoylphosphate via ornithine carbamoyltransferase (ArcB). Finally, carbamate kinase (ArcC) transfers a phosphate from carbamoylphosphate to ADP, yielding ATP. Ammonia production from this pathway protects bacteria from lethal acidification, and ATP production provides a source of energy for the cells. The purpose of this study was to initiate a characterization of the arc operon of Streptococcus rattus, the least cariogenic and sole ADS-positive member of the mutans streptococci. Using an arcB gene fragment obtained by degenerate PCRs, the FA-1 arc operon was identified in subgenomic DNA libraries and sequence analysis was performed. Results showed that the genes encoding the AD pathway in S. rattus FA-1 are organized as an arcABCDT-adiR operon gene cluster, including the enzymes of the pathway, an arginine-ornithine antiporter (ArcD) and a putative regulatory protein (AdiR). The arcA transcriptional start site was identified by primer extension, and a sigma(70)-like promoter was mapped 5' to arcA. Reverse transcriptase PCR was used to establish that arcABCDT could be cotranscribed. Reporter gene fusions and AD assays demonstrated that the operon is regulated by substrate induction and catabolite repression, the latter apparently through a CcpA-dependent pathway.

Isolation and molecular analysis of the gene cluster for the arginine deiminase system from Streptococcus gordonii DL1

The arginine deiminase (AD) system (ADS) is one of two major ammonia-generating pathways in the oral cavity that play important roles in oral biofilm pH homeostasis and oral biofilm ecology. To initiate a study of the Streptococcus gordonii ADS, the ADS gene cluster was isolated from subgenomic DNA libraries of S. gordonii DL1 by using an arcB-specific probe. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed six open reading frames (ORFs) that were arranged contiguously; the first five ORFs were transcribed in the same direction, as an apparent operon, and the sixth was transcribed in the opposite direction. The ORFs were found to share significant homologies and to correspond closely in molecular mass to previously characterized arc genes; thus, they were designated arcA (AD), arcB (ornithine carbamyltransferase), arcC (carbamate kinase), arcD (arginine-ornithine antiporter), arcT (dipeptidase), and arcR (regulator). A putative sigma(70) promoter (ParcA [TTGTGT-N(19)-TAGAAT]) was mapped 5' to arcA by primer extension, and the expression of ParcA was shown to be inducible by arginine and repressible by glucose, in agreement with AD specific activities measured in the wild-type strain. To investigate the function of ArcR in the differential expression of the arc operon, arcR was insertionally inactivated by a KM resistance marker flanked by T4 transcription/translation termination signals, and the expression of ParcA was monitored by primer extension in the wild-type and ArcR-deficient strains. Lower levels of arcA expression, as well as lower levels of AD activity, were consistently observed in the ArcR-deficient strain compared to wild-type cells, regardless of the growth conditions. Thus, ArcR is a transcriptional activator that is required for induction and optimal expression of the S. gordonii ADS gene cluster.

Transcriptional regulation of the Streptococcus salivarius 57.I urease operon

The Streptococcus salivarius 57.I ure cluster was organized as an operon, beginning with ureI, followed by ureABC (structural genes) and ureEFGD (accessory genes). Northern analyses revealed transcripts encompassing structural genes and transcripts containing the entire operon. A sigma70-like promoter could be mapped 5' to ureI (PureI) by primer extension analysis. The intensity of the signal increased when cells were grown at an acidic pH and was further enhanced by excess carbohydrate. To determine the function(s) of two inverted repeats located 5' to PureI, transcriptional fusions of the full-length promoter region (PureI), or a deletion derivative (PureIDelta100), and a promoterless chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene were constructed and integrated into the chromosome to generate strains PureICAT and PureIDelta100CAT, respectively. CAT specific activities of PureICAT were repressed at pH 7.0 and induced at pH 5.5 and by excess carbohydrate. In PureIDelta100CAT, CAT activity was 60-fold higher than in PureICAT at pH 7.0 and pH induction was nearly eliminated, indicating that expression was negatively regulated. Thus, it was concluded that PureI was the predominant, regulated promoter and that regulation was governed by a mechanism differing markedly from other known mechanisms for bacterial urease expression.

Detection of Tn917-like sequences within a Tn916-like conjugative transposon (Tn3872) in erythromycin-resistant isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae

A series of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLS)-resistant pneumococcal isolates of a variety of serotypes was examined and was found to contain Tn917-like elements by DNA-DNA hybridization. Like Tn1545, Tn917 also encodes an ermAM gene but does not mediate resistance to other antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, nucleotide sequence analyses of the DNAs flanking three of the Tn917-like elements revealed that they were inserted into orf9 of a Tn916-like element in a composite transposon-like structure (Tn3872). Other MLS-resistant strains appeared to contain Tn1545-like elements that had suffered a deletion of sequences including the aphA-3 sequences responsible for kanamycin resistance. Thus, the MLS resistance phenotype in pneumococci appears to be mediated by the ermAM present on a much wider variety of genetic elements than was previously appreciated.

Antibiotic resistance among enterococci isolated from clinical specimens between 1953 and 1954

Two hundred twenty group D streptococci isolated from 1953 to 1954 from patients in the Washington, D.C., area were characterized. All were susceptible to ampicillin, vancomycin, and gentamicin; none produced beta-lactamase activity. High-level resistance to streptomycin was expressed by 117 strains, and 2 strains were resistant to >8 microg of chloramphenicol per ml. Three isolates were resistant to both erythromycin and lincomycin, and DNA from these hybridized to an ermAM probe. Of 118 strains resistant to tetracycline and minocycline, genomic DNA from 63 was examined for homology to tet(M), tet(O), and tet(S). DNA from 20 strains hybridized to tet(M), DNA from 37 strains hybridized to tet(S), and DNA from none of the strains hybridized to tet(O).

Characterization and heterologous expression of the tetL gene and identification of iso-ISS1 elements from Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pJH1

The tetracycline-resistance (TcR) determinant of the Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pJH1 has been identified and located on a 2.2-kb RsaI-EcoRI fragment. The fragment was cloned in Escherichia coli, and specified TcR in this host. The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the cloned fragment showed the presence of an open reading frame (ORF) of 1374 bp, designated tetL. The nt sequence of tetL from pJH1 was identical to that of the tetL present on pLS1 from Streptococcus agalactiae. Upstream of the pJH1 tetL, part of another ORF was found that, except for two single-nt substitutions, was identical to an iso-ISS1 element from Lactococcus lactis. Hybridization studies indicated the presence of several ISS1-like elements in plasmid pJH1, but not on the En. faecalis chromosome. To study its usefulness as a marker in Gram+ organisms, the pJH1 tetL was cloned on the broad-host-range plasmid pNZ124, resulting in pNZ280, that was found to give resistance to 40 micrograms Tc/ml in Lc. lactis and Bacillus subtilis.

Cloning and molecular analysis of genes affecting expression of binding substance, the recipient-encoded receptor(s) mediating mating aggregate formation in Enterococcus faecalis

Transfer of the conjugative plasmid pCF10 in Enterococcus faecalis strains involves production of a plasmid-encoded aggregation substance on the surface of donor cells in response to stimulation by a pheromone secreted by recipient cells. Aggregation substance then facilitates attachment to recipient cells via a chromosomally encoded receptor, termed binding substance (BS). A BS mutant, strain INY3000, generated by random Tn916 insertions, was previously found to carry copies of the transposon at four unique sites (K. M. Trotter and G. M. Dunny, Plasmid 24:57-67, 1990). In the present study, DNA flanking the Tn916 insertions was used to complement the BS mutation of INY3000 following Tn916 excision from cloned chromosomal fragments. Complementation results showed that three of the four regions mutated in INY3000 play some role in BS expression. Tn5 mutagenesis and DNA sequence analysis of the complementing fragment from one of these regions indicated the presence of three genes (ebsA, ebsB, and ebsC) that affect BS expression. The ebsA and ebsB genes encode peptides likely to function in cell wall metabolism, whereas ebsC may encode a product that suppresses the function or expression of EbsB.

Molecular, genetic, and functional analysis of the basic replicon of pVA380-1, a plasmid of oral streptococcal origin

The 4.2-kb cryptic plasmid pVA380-1 has been used as a vector for the cloning of antibiotic resistance genes directly in streptococci, and in the construction of Escherichia coli/Streptococcus shuttle vectors. The results of subcloning experiments located the basic replicon of pVA380-1 within a 2.5-kb region. The nucleotide base sequence of this region was determined and contained a single complete open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 237-amino-acid peptide with a predicted size of 29 kDa. This peptide and a region of the DNA molecule 5' to the ORF encoding it shared homology with the replication protein and plus origin, respectively, of the Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pUB110. Data from Tn5 mutagenesis and complementation studies indicated that the protein product of the ORF was required for pVA380-1 replication in streptococci. Deletion of a region of the basic replicon distal to the plus origin and ORF produced an unstable derivative, and resulted in the accumulation of single-stranded replicative intermediates, consistent with the loss of a minus origin. All of these results suggest that pVA380-1 replicates by a rolling circle mode, and is most closely related to the pC194 family of single-stranded DNA plasmids.

Genetic analysis of scrA and scrB from Streptococcus sobrinus 6715

A DNA fragment containing scrA and scrB, which encode enzyme II of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sucrose phosphotransferase system and sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolase, respectively, was isolated from a lambda gt10 genomic DNA library of Streptococcus sobrinus 6715. Both genes were located on a 4.2-kb DNA fragment which was maintained stably in Escherchia coli on low-copy-number vector pGB2. The recombinant E. coli clone expressed sucrose-hydrolytic activity on MacConkey agar base supplemented with raffinose or sucrose. Results from deletion analysis showed that the sucrose-metabolic activity was contained within a 3.5-kb region. The lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis LM0230, which is devoid of sucrose-metabolic activity, was used to study the enzyme activities encoded by scrA and scrB from S. sobrinus 6715. L. lactis transformants carrying the 4.2-kb S. sobrinus-derived DNA fragment on E. coli-Streptococcus shuttle vector pDL278 were able to grow at the expense of sucrose and exhibited enzyme II and sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolase activities. Results from hybridization studies and a comparison of the restriction endonuclease maps of the scrA- and scrB-containing chromosomal regions from S. mutans GS5 and S. sobrinus 6715 suggested considerable divergence.

Cloning and nucleotide base sequence analysis of a spectinomycin adenyltransferase AAD(9) determinant from Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis LDR55, a human clinical isolate, is resistant to tetracycline (Tcr), erythromycin (Emr), and high levels (greater than 2,000 micrograms/ml) of spectinomycin (Spr) but not streptomycin. Filter matings between strain LDR55 and E. faecalis OG1-RF produced transconjugants with the following resistance phenotypes: Tcr Emr Spr, Tcr Emr, Tcr Spr, and Tcr only but never Emr or Spr only. The genetic determinant encoding resistance to spectinomycin was cloned in Streptococcus sanguis Challis from pDL55, a 26-kb plasmid harbored by a Tcr Spr transconjugant. Subcloning experiments yielded a 1.1-kb ClaI-NdeI fragment that encoded very high-level Spr in S. sanguis (10 mg/ml) and Escherichia coli (50 mg/ml). Cell extracts of cultures obtained from Spr strains expressed adenylating activity for spectinomycin but not for streptomycin, indicating that Spr was due to an AAD(9) activity. The nucleotide base sequence of the 1.1-kb ClaI-NdeI fragment contained a single 750-base open reading frame. The protein predicted from the open reading frame consisted of 250 amino acids and had a calculated size of approximately 28,000 daltons, similar to the size estimated from maxicell analysis (29,000 daltons). The deduced amino acid sequence of the streptococcal AAD(9) was compared with that of the AAD(9) encoded by staphylococcal transposon Tn554. The two proteins shared approximately 39% amino acid identity, which was expanded to 53% when conservative amino acid changes were included. When the streptococcal protein was compared with an AAD(3")(9) protein of E. coli, the degrees of identity were 27 and 47%, on the basis of actual amino acids and conservative replacements, respectively. The cloning and nucleotide base sequence analyses of the spectinomycin AAD(9) determinant from E. faecalis that results in high-level Spr when transferred to S. sanguis or E. coli are presented.

Improved electroporation and cloning vector system for gram-positive bacteria

A protocol for transformation of intact Enterococcus faecalis cells by electroporation was developed through a systematic examination of the effects of changes in various parameters, including (i) growth conditions; (ii) composition of the electroporation solution; (iii) electroporation conditions, such as field strength and resistance; (iv) size, concentration, and purity of DNA used for transformation; and (v) conditions used to select for transformants. Key features of this protocol include the use of exponential-phase cells grown in inhibitory concentrations of glycine and the use of an acidic sucrose electroporation solution. Frequencies of greater than 2 x 10(5) transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA were obtained for E. faecalis cells, whereas various strains of streptococci and Bacillus anthracis were transformed at frequencies of 10(3) to 10(4) transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA with the same protocol. A novel Escherichia coli-Streptococcus and Enterococcus shuttle cloning vector, pDL276, was constructed for use in conjunction with the electroporation system. This vector features a multiple cloning site region flanked by E. coli transcription termination sequences, a relatively small size (less than 7 kb), and a kanamycin resistance determinant expressed in both gram-positive and gram-negative hosts. Various enterococcal and streptococcal DNA sequences were cloned in E. coli (including sequences that could not be cloned on other vectors) and were returned to the original host by electroporation. The vector and electroporation system was also used to clone directly into E. faecalis.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of tetracycline resistance gene tetO from Streptococcus mutans DL5

Streptococcus mutans DL5, isolated from the dental plaque of a pig, was resistant to high levels of streptomycin (Sm, 20 mg/ml), erythromycin (Em, 1 mg/ml), and tetracycline (Tc, greater than 100 micrograms/ml), but contained no detectable plasmid DNA. The Smr and Emr determinants were cloned from cellular DNA on the self-replicating 5-kilobase-pair (kbp) EcoRI fragment of pAM beta 1 and the 4.2-kbp cryptic plasmid pVA380-1, respectively, by transformation of Streptococcus sanguis Challis. Helper plasmid cloning, with a Challis host containing pVA380-1, was required to clone the Tcr determinant of strain DL5 on this vector. A single-colony isolate of the original Tcr clone contained a hybrid plasmid, pDL421, composed of 2.6 kbp of vector DNA and 11.4 kbp of S. mutans DNA. Plasmid pDL421 did not hybridize to plasmids containing the streptococcal Tcr determinants tetL, tetM, and tetN. A shortened derivative of this hybrid plasmid, pDL422, missing a 4.9-kbp HincII fragment from the S. mutans DNA but still encoding Tcr, was obtained by subcloning in S. sanguis Challis. The Tcr gene was located in a 1,917-base-pair open reading frame (ORF) corresponding to a 72-kilodalton protein. The ORF exhibited 99.4% sequence identity with the 1,917-base-pair tetO gene from a strain of Campylobacter coli (W. Sougakoff, B. Papadopoulou, P. Nordmann, and P. Courvalin, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 44:153-160, 1987). A 1.67-kbp NdeI fragment, internal to the ORF from strain DL5, as well as pDL421 hybridized under stringent conditions to DNA from 10 of 10 Tcr strains of C. coli and Campylobacter jejuni from human and animal sources, but not to DNA from Tcs isolates of these two species.

Location of antibiotic resistance markers in clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis with similar antibiotypes

Eight wild-type strains of Enterococcus faecalis, resistant to chloramphenicol (Cmr), erythromycin (Emr), tetracycline (Tcr), and minocycline (Mnr), were examined for the genetic basis of their antibiotic resistance, Five of the strains transferred all of their antibiotic resistance markers by conjugation, while the other three strains transferred only Tcr and Mnr. Cmr and Emr determinants were localized by DNA-DNA hybridization experiments, in which the Cmr gene of plasmid pIP501, of group B Streptococcus origin, and the Emr gene of transposon Tn917, of E. faecalis origin, served as probes. A chromosomal location was found for the nonconjugative Cmr and Emr markers of one wild-type strain. In two strains these markers were carried by nonconjugative plasmids, and in the other strains they were carried by plasmids that transferred by conjugation. Plasmids isolated from three transconjugants resistant to tetracycline but susceptible to minocycline bore nucleotide sequences homologous to the tetL gene. Nucleotide sequences homologous to conjugative transposon Tn916, of E. faecalis origin, were detected by hybridization in the tetracycline-minocycline-resistant transconjugants. Three of these transconjugants were plasmid free, while four harbored conjugative cryptic plasmids. Sequences homologous to Tn916 were also found on two conjugative plasmids, one of which appeared to be a conjugative cryptic plasmid that had acquired chromosomal Tcr Mnr markers during transfer.

Molecular and genetic characterization of lactose-metabolic genes of Streptococcus cremoris

Lac+ plasmid DNA from Streptococcus cremoris H2 was subcloned with an Escherichia coli vector on a 3.5-kilobase-pair PstI-AvaI fragment. Genetic analysis of the cloned DNA was possible because linear Lac+ DNA fragments were productive in the S. sanguis transformation system. Complementation of S. sanguis Lac-mutants showed that the 3.5-kilobase-pair fragment included the structural gene for 6-phospho-beta-D-galactosidase and either enzyme II-lac or factor III-lac of the lactose-specific phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system. Expression of the S. cremoris-like 40,000-dalton 6-phospho-beta-D-galactosidase in S. sanguis Lac+ transformants, rather than the 52,000-dalton wild-type S. sanguis enzyme, demonstrated the occurrence of gene replacement and not gene repair. The evidence supports chromosomal integration as the mechanism by which S. sanguis Lac- recipients are converted to a Lac+ phenotype after transformation with Lac+ DNA. Southern blot data suggest that the Lac+ DNA does not reside on a transposon, but that integration always occurs within a specific HincII fragment of the recipient chromosome. Hybridization experiments demonstrate homology between the S. cremoris Lac+ DNA and cellular DNA from Lac+ strains of Streptococcus lactis, S. mutans, S. faecalis, and S. sanguis.

Heterogeneity of plasmids determining high-level resistance to gentamicin in clinical isolates of Streptococcus faecalis

Between November 1981 and October 1984, 48 of 3,458 clinical isolates of Streptococcus faecalis at the University of Michigan Hospital showed high-level (greater than 2,000 micrograms/ml) resistance to gentamicin, as well as to all other clinically available aminoglycosides. Thirteen percent of clinical isolates in the University of Michigan Hospital currently demonstrate this level of resistance. Transfer of resistance to a plasmid-free streptococcal recipient was observed in filter matings for 44 of 48 such isolates. Analysis of transconjugants by agarose gel electrophoresis showed that gentamicin resistance was transferred alone in 8 isolates and was combined with other antimicrobial resistances on the same plasmid in the other 36 isolates. There were seven isolates which transferred the property of horse blood beta-hemolysis along with gentamicin resistance. Transfer of gentamicin resistance was either by conjugative plasmids or by a nonconjugative but mobilizable plasmid. Transfer frequencies on filters ranged from 4.7 X 10(-2) to 4.1 X 10(-8). Based on donor and transconjugant antibiotic resistance markers, agarose gel electrophoresis, transfer properties, and restriction enzyme analysis, the plasmid content of transconjugants was heterogeneous and could be classified into at least seven different patterns. These findings argue against clonal dissemination as the cause of the increased frequency of resistant strains and suggest that resistance to gentamicin appears on a variety of physically distinct conjugative and nonconjugative plasmids in S. faecalis.

Broad geographical distribution of homologous erythromycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin resistance determinants among group D streptococci of human and animal origin

The Emr, Kmr, and Smr determinants of the Streptococcus faecalis R plasmid pJH1 were cloned in Streptococcus sanguis with a streptococcal plasmid vector, pVA380-1. Each cloned determinant was used as a probe in hybridization reactions with dot blots containing plasmid-enriched DNA from 91 group D streptococcal isolates resistant to erythromycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin; the isolates were obtained from animal and human sources in a variety of geographical locations. Nearly 70% of the strains contained DNA that hybridized to each of the three resistance determinants from pJH1. Five plasmids mediating resistance to erythromycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin were examined in more detail. These plasmids varied in size between 26 and 105 kilobase pairs (kbp) and exhibited very different EcoRI restriction patterns. However, each plasmid contained the resistance determinants on a single 13- to 20-kbp EcoRI fragment. Southern blot hybridizations and additional restriction endonuclease digests revealed extensive DNA sequence homology and virtually indistinguishable restriction endonuclease maps within a 9- to 11-kbp region of each plasmid which included the resistance determinants.

In vitro studies of plasmid-mediated penicillinase from Streptococcus faecalis suggest a staphylococcal origin

A strain of Streptococcus faecalis with plasmid-mediated penicillinase production was studied further. Partially purified penicillinase from the S. faecalis strain hydrolyzed penicillin, ampicillin, and ureido-penicillins but not penicillinase-resistant semisynthetic penicillins, cephalosporins, or imipenem; hydrolysis was inhibited by clavulanic acid. Hydrolysis of a given antibiotic correlated with a marked increase in the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of that drug when a high inoculum was used. As with most enterococci, the MICs of cephalosporins and penicillinase-resistant semisynthetic penicillins were too high for clinical usefulness, although these agents did not show an inoculum effect. Based upon hybridization under stringent conditions of plasmid DNA from the S. faecalis strain to cloned penicillinase genes from Staphylococcus aureus, it appears that these resistance determinants are highly homologous and suggests that this enzyme was introduced into streptococci from staphylococci.

Streptococcus faecalis R plasmid pJH1 contains a pAM alpha 1 delta 1-like replicon

Streptococcus faecalis R plasmid pJH1 did not transform competent strains of Streptococcus sanguis. A hybrid plasmid, pDL310, consisting of virtually all of the S. faecalis hemolysin-bacteriocin plasmid pJH2 and a segment of pJH1 DNA that included the tetracycline resistance determinant, yielded tetracycline-resistant transformants at a frequency of less than 10(-8) transformants per CFU, when it was added to a competent culture of S. sanguis Wicky. Four of the transformants contained a 4.7-kilobase plasmid (pDL316) that transformed strain Wicky at a frequency of 8.6 X 10(-8). Restriction endonuclease digests, agarose gel electrophoresis, and Southern blot hybridizations indicated that pDL316 consisted entirely of pJH1-derived DNA. Additional restriction studies, Southern blot hybridizations, and heteroduplex analyses indicated that pDL316 was very closely related to 4.6-kilobase tetracycline resistance plasmid pAM alpha 1 delta 1, a derivative of 9.0-kilobase S. faecalis plasmid pAM alpha 1.

Evidence for a disseminated erythromycin resistance determinant mediated by Tn917-like sequences among group D streptococci isolated from pigs, chickens, and humans

A total of 199 streptococci isolated from feces of healthy chickens, pigs, and beef cattle and 26 human clinical isolates were tested for resistance to kanamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, and lincomycin. Of 66 isolates resistant to these antibiotics, 12 transferred one or more resistance traits by conjugation in broth. Erythromycin resistance (Emr) was transferred from 10 of the 12 successful donors. AvaI digests of plasmids isolated from Emr transconjugants derived from two human, two chicken, and one pig isolate contained three fragments similar in size to those produced from Tn3871, an Emr transposon. The three fragments from each of the five digests on Southern blots hybridized to radiolabeled Tn3871. Plasmid DNA from a transconjugant derived from a second pig isolate contained two of the three Tn3871-associated AvaI fragments. One of the AvaI fragments from each of the six plasmids hybridized with a radiolabeled probe containing a cloned AvaI fragment from Tn3871 that contained the Emr determinant. Transposition of the Emr trait was demonstrated for the plasmids derived from one human and one pig isolate. We concluded that extensive DNA homology existed between plasmids from streptococcal strains obtained from two human patients, two chickens, and two pigs and the Emr transposon Tn3871, which is very similar or identical to the well-characterized Emr transposon Tn917. The detection of Tn3871-like sequences in streptococcal isolates from Arkansas, Illinois, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. indicates wide dissemination of Emr mediated by the same or closely related transposons.

Structural organization of a 67-kilobase streptococcal conjugative element mediating multiple antibiotic resistance

The molecular organization of the conjugative cat-erm-tet region of Streptococcus agalactiae B109 was examined by cloning large contiguous portions of the strain B109 chromosome, using a cosmid vector system. The organization of this region was compared with pDP5, a plasmid which acquired this resistance element by transposition. Both the chromosomal copy and the transposed copy of the resistance region were found to be 67-kilobases long, although sequences at the boundary of the transposed copy of the element showed some rearrangement. In addition to the stable chromosomal state, we present evidence which suggests the presence of a circular form of the element.

A conjugative transposon (Tn919) in Streptococcus sanguis

Streptococcus sanguis FC1, originally isolated from dental plaque, was found to be naturally resistant to tetracycline. Although no plasmid DNA could be detected, tetracycline resistance was transferable in filter matings to Streptococcus faecalis FA2-2. Again, no plasmid DNA was detectable in transconjugants, and the latter could donate tetracycline resistance to S. faecalis, S. sanguis, and Streptococcus lactis. The tetracycline resistance element was able to transpose to several sites on the S. faecalis hemolysin plasmid pAD1 and in each case resulted in a 15-kilobase insert. DNA filter blot hybridization studies showed that the element bears significant homology with the conjugative transposon Tn916. Designated Tn919, it was cloned into an Escherichia coli plasmid vector (pGL101) and, as has been shown for Tn916, excised readily in the absence of selective pressure.

Disseminated tetracycline resistance in oral streptococci: implication of a conjugative transposon

A DNA sequence specifying tetracycline resistance (Tcr) has been previously cloned from a clinical isolate of Streptococcus mutans designated U202 (J. A. Tobian and F. L. Macrina, J. Bacteriol. 152:215-222, 1982). We used this sequence as a molecular probe in studying the dissemination of Tcr among oral streptococcal species isolated from patients treated with tetracycline. Eleven strains (including S. sanguis I, S. sanguis II, S. mitis, and S. salivarius) from seven patients were examined by Southern blot analysis. Seven strains showed strong hybridization to the Tcr probe, two showed weak hybridization, and two did not display detectable hybridization. Based on previous characterization of the cloned sequence, our data suggest the dissemination of the tetM class of resistance determinants among these oral streptococci. One of the clinical S. sanguis I isolates studied was able to transfer its Tcr phenotype to other oral streptococci and to enteric streptococci in the absence of plasmid DNA. This transfer appeared to be conjugation-like on the basis of its insensitivity to DNase and its dependence on intimate cell-to-cell contact. Using the cloned Tcr sequence, we were able to study the progeny of the matings. Our data suggest that this resistance transfer element occupies a chromosomal location in streptococcal cells and that it strongly resembles the conjugative transposon Tn916 in its behavior.

Streptococcus faecalis R plasmid pJH1 contains an erythromycin resistance transposon (Tn3871) similar to transposon Tn917

The R plasmid pJH1 contains a 5.1-kilobase transposon ( Tn3871 ) that mediates inducible resistance to erythromycin. Three AvaI digestion fragments from this transposon are identical in size to and homologous with three AvaI-derived fragments from the previously described erythromycin resistance transposon Tn917 . These three DNA fragments account for greater than 90% of both transposons.

Translocation of antibiotic resistance markers of a plasmid-free Streptococcus pyogenes (group A) strain into different streptococcal hemolysin plasmids

Wild-type strain A454 (Streptococcus pyogenes) transferred en bloc its erythromycin (Em) and tetracycline (Tc) resistance markers into several plasmid-free streptococcal recipients. No plasmid DNA was detected in either the wild-type or the transconjugant strains. Crosses were performed between A454 and S. faecalis Rec+ or Rec- recipients carrying hemolysin-bacteriocin plasmids, pIP964 or pAD1 . The Em Tc-resistant transconjugants obtained harbored either the parental plasmid or an Em Tc resistance plasmid derived from pIP964 or pAD1 . The restriction endonuclease analysis of 12 derivative plasmids showed insertions of various sizes into different fragments of pIP964 or pAD1 . A454 and the Em Tc-resistant plasmid-free transconjugants were found to contain two EcoRI DNA fragments, that shared homology with 32P-labeled pIP1077 , one of the Em Tc resistance derivative plasmids, but not with 32P-labeled pIP964 . No homology was detected between pIP1077 and the cellular DNA of the antibiotic-susceptible recipients.

Large transmissible clindamycin resistance plasmid in Bacteroides ovatus

Bacteroides ovatus IB106 contained two plasmids, pBI106 (46 kilobases) and pBI136 (82 kilobases). Transmissible clindamycin-erythromycin resistance (Ccr) was mediated by pBI136 , whose Ccr determinant was closely related to the determinant on the Bacteroides R plasmids pBF4 and pBFTM10 . Hybridization studies showed that pBI106 was not involved in Ccr transfer, but it shared extensive homology to pBF4 with the exception of the pBF4 region implicated in Ccr.

Genetic and molecular analyses of Escherichia coli K1 antigen genes

The plasmid pSR23, composed of a 34-kilobase E. coli chromosomal fragment inserted into the BamHI site of the pHC79 cosmid cloning vector, contains genes encoding biosynthesis of the K1 capsular polysaccharide. Deletions, subclones, and Tn5 insertion mutants were used to localize the K1 genes on pSR23. The only deletion derivative of pSR23 that retained the K1 phenotype lacked a 2.7-kilobase EcoRI fragment. Subclones containing HindIII and EcoRI fragments of pSR23 did not produce K1. Cells harboring pSR27, a subclone containing a 23-kilobase BamHI fragment, synthesized K1 that was not detectable extracellularly. Six acapsular Tn5 insertion mutants of three phenotypic classes were observed. Class I mutants synthesized K1 only when N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) was provided in the medium. Reduced amounts of K1 were detectable in cell extracts of class II mutants. Class III mutants did not produce detectable K1 in either extracts or when cells were provided exogenous NANA. All mutants had sialyltransferase activity. Analysis in the E. coli minicell system of proteins expressed by derivatives of pSR23 identified a minimum of 12 polypeptides, ranging in size from 18,000 to 80,000 daltons, involved in K1 biosynthesis. The 16-kilobase coding capacity required for the proteins was located in three gene clusters designated A, B, and C. We propose that the A cluster contains a NANA operon of two genes that code for proteins with apparent molecular weights of 45,000 and 50,000. The A region also includes a 2-kilobase segment involved in regulation of K1 synthesis. The B region encoding five protein species appears responsible for the translocation of the polymer from its site of synthesis on the cytoplasmic membrane to the cell surface. The C region encodes four protein species. Since the three gene clusters appear to be coordinately regulated. we propose that they constitute a kps regulon.

Physical and genetic analyses of streptococcal plasmid pAM beta 1 and cloning of its replication region

Plasmid pAM beta 1, originally isolated from Streptococcus faecalis DS5, mediates resistance to the MLS (macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B alpha) group of antibiotics. A restriction endonuclease map of the 26.5-kilobase (kb) pAM beta 1 molecule was constructed by using the enzymes AvaI, HpaII, EcoRI, PvuII, Kpn1, BstEII, HpaI, HhaI, and HindIII. A comparison of this map to those of four independently isolated deletion derivatives of pAM beta 1 located the MLS resistance determinant within a 2-kb DNA segment and at least one conjugative function within an 8-kb region. The 5.0-kb EcoRI-B fragment from pAM beta 1 was ligated onto the 4.0-kb Escherichia coli plasmid vector, pACKC1, and used to transform E. coli HB101. The 9.0-kb chimeric plasmid was then used to transform Streptococcus sanguis Challis with concurrent expression of the E. coli kanamycin resistance determinant. The 5.0-kb EcoRI-B fragment from pAM beta 1 was subsequently used as a vector to clone a streptomycin resistance determinant from a strain of Streptococcus mutans containing no detectable plasmid DNA. Subcloning experiments, using a HindIII partial digest of pAM beta 1 DNA, narrowed the replication region of this plasmid to a 2.95-kb fragment.

Genetic, molecular, and functional analysis of Streptococcus faecalis R plasmid pJH1

Streptococcus faecalis JH1 contains two conjugative plasmids, pJH1, an R plasmid that codes for resistance to kanamycin, streptomycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline, and pJH2, a hemolysin-bacteriocin plasmid. Strain JH1 was used as an antibiotic resistance donor in conjugation experiments with two plasmid-free S. faecalis recipient strains, JH2-2 and OG1-RF1. Plasmid pJH1 was purified from one transconjugant, DL77, and subjected to restriction endonuclease analyses. Five restriction enzymes, EcoRI, XbaI, BamHI, SalI, and XhoI, yielding 10, 9, 3, 2, and 2 fragments, respectively, were used to determine the size (80.7 kilobases) of pJH1 and to construct a restriction endonuclease map of the plasmid. Twenty-eight percent of the antibiotic-resistant transconjugants examined expressed only part of the resistance pattern (Kmr Smr Emr Tcr) associated with pJH1, that is, they were resistant to kanamycin, streptomycin, and erythromycin; to erythromycin and tetracycline; or to erythromycin or to tetracycline only. Most of these strains also produced hemolysin and bacteriocin, and several contained a hybrid plasmid consisting of pJH2 and specific segments of pJH1 DNA. Several of these hybrid plasmids, as well as a deletion derivative of pJH1 that coded for resistance to tetracycline but not to kanamycin, streptomycin, or erythromycin, were purified and used to confirm the arrangement of restriction endonuclease fragments on the pJH1 map and to locate the resistance determinants on this map.

Broad geographical distribution of a cytotoxin gene mediating beta-hemolysis and bacteriocin activity among Streptococcus faecalis strains

Conjugative hemolysin-bacteriocin plasmids were isolated from Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes strains of diverse geographical origins. Cloned DNA fragments containing the hemolysin-bacteriocin gene(s) from one of these plasmids (pAD1) hybridized to two EcoRI fragments of identical size from each of the five plasmids examined. Results of hybridization experiments in which total plasmid DNA was used suggested that the plasmids shared extensive homology. Two of the plasmids, pAD1 from strain DS16 (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and pAM gamma 1 from strain DS5 (Miami, Fla.), were 100% homologous and had identical EcoRI restriction patterns (eight fragments each). There was no detectable homology between the plasmid-mediated hemolysin determinants of S. faecalis and DNA from other beta-hemolytic streptococci (Lancefield groups A, B, F, or H).