A novel conjugative plasmid from Enterococcus faecalis E99 enhances resistance to ultraviolet radiation.

ABSTRACT: Enterococcus faecalis has emerged as a prominent healthcare-associated pathogen frequently encountered in bacteremia, endocarditis, urinary tract infection, and as a leading cause of antibiotic-resistant infections. We recently demonstrated a capacity for high-level biofilm formation by a clinical E. faecalis isolate, E99. This high biofilm-forming phenotype was attributable to a novel locus, designated bee, specifying a pilus at the bacterial cell surface and localized to a large approximately 80 kb conjugative plasmid. To better understand the origin of the bee locus, as well as to potentially identify additional factors important to the biology and pathogenesis of strain E99, we sequenced the entire plasmid. The nucleotide sequence of the plasmid, designated pBEE99, revealed large regio

SUBMITTER: Coburn PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2891438 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature