Type II Fatty Acid Synthesis Pathway and Cyclopropane Ring Formation Are Dispensable during Enterococcus faecalis Systemic Infection.

ABSTRACT: Enterococcus faecalis, a multiple antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacterium, has emerged as a serious nosocomial pathogen. Here, we used a genetic approach to characterize the strategies used by E. faecalis to fulfill its requirements for endogenous fatty acid (FA) synthesis in vitro and in vivo. The type II fatty acid synthesis (FASII) pathway is encoded by two operons and two monocistronic genes. Expression of all of these genes is repressed by exogenous FAs, which are incorporated into the E. faecalis membrane and modify its composition. Deletion of nine genes of the 12-gene operon abolished growth in an FA-free medium. Addition of serum, which is lipid rich, restored growth. Interestingly, the E. faecalis membrane contains cyclic fatty acids that modify membrane proper

SUBMITTER: Hays C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8459760 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature