Presence Of Esp Research Articles

Challenges in teaching and learning, and in teacher education in Vale do Paraíba, Brazil.

EnglishThe Paraiba Valley, located in the east of Sao Paulo state, is an outstanding hub of technological-industrial development in Brazil, also known for being the birthplace of the Brazilian aeronautical industry. It is also a region where relevant teaching and research centers are located, focused on aviation in general, and the aviation industry in particular. It is well known that English is the lingua franca in aviation and it is used internationally, in radio communications between pilots and air traffic controllers, as well as by flight attendants, aircraft mechanics, and several other professionals working in the field of aviation, whether civil or military. Teaching and learning the English language have therefore become essential for professionals working in the aviation market and it must be at the core of both beginning and continuing education centers of professionals in this area. Thus, this article has two objectives that complement each other: to set forth considerations about the presence of ESP in the area of aviation in general, and, more specifically, in air traffic control instruction in Vale do Paraiba; the second, linked to the first objective, is to emphasize the importance of English teacher education in order to bring their expertise up to the level of English for Specific Purposes, in this case, aviation. portuguesO Vale do Paraiba, situado ao leste do estado de Sao Paulo, e um insigne polo de desenvolvimento tecnologico-industrial do Brasil, tambem conhecido por ser o berco da industria aeronautica brasileira. Trata-se, tambem, de uma regiao onde estao localizados relevantes centros de ensino e pesquisa voltados a aviacao de um modo geral e a industria aeronautica em particular. Sabe-se que a lingua inglesa e tida como a lingua franca da aviacao, sendo utilizada internacionalmente, tanto na comunicacao radiofonica entre pilotos e controladores de trafego aereo como tambem por comissarios de voo, mecânicos de aeronaves e diversos outros profissionais que atuam na area da aviacao, tanto civil como militar. O ensino-aprendizagem da lingua inglesa tornou-se, pois, imprescindivel ao profissional que atua no mercado da aviacao e deve estar presente nos polos de formacao inicial e continuada de profissionais dessa area. Sendo assim, este artigo tem dois objetivos que se complementam: o primeiro trata de tecer consideracoes sobre o ensino e aprendizagem de Ingles para Fins Especificos na area da aviacao, mais especificamente, voltado a formacao de controladores de trafego aereo no Vale do Paraiba; o segundo, vinculado ao primeiro objetivo, e o de enfatizar a relevância da formacao de professores de ingles como lingua estrangeira/lingua franca para atuar nessa area.

Lifetimes of the Aglycone Substrates of Specifier Proteins, the Autonomous Iron Enzymes That Dictate the Products of the Glucosinolate-Myrosinase Defense System in Brassica Plants.

Specifier proteins (SPs) are components of the glucosinolate-myrosinase defense system found in plants of the order Brassicales (brassicas). Glucosinolates (GLSs) comprise at least 150 known S-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)thiohydroximate-O-sulfonate compounds, each with a distinguishing side chain linked to the central carbon. Following tissue injury, the enzyme myrosinase (MYR) promiscuously hydrolyzes the common thioglycosidic linkage of GLSs to produce unstable aglycone intermediates, which can readily undergo a Lossen-like rearrangement to the corresponding organoisothiocyanates. The known SPs share a common protein architecture but redirect the breakdown of aglycones to different stable products: epithionitrile (ESP), nitrile (NSP), or thiocyanate (TFP). The different effects of these products on brassica consumers motivate efforts to understand the defense response in chemical detail. Experimental analysis of SP mechanisms is challenged by the instability of the aglycones and would be facilitated by knowledge of their lifetimes. We developed a spectrophotometric method that we used to monitor the rearrangement reactions of the MYR-generated aglycones from nine GLSs, discovering that their half-lives (t1/2) vary by a factor of more than 50, from <3 to 150 s (22 °C). The t1/2 of the sinigrin-derived allyl aglycone (34 s), which can form the epithionitrile product (1-cyano-2,3-epithiopropane) in the presence of ESP, proved to be sufficient to enable spatial and temporal separation of the MYR and ESP reactions. The results confirm recent proposals that ESP is an autonomous iron-dependent enzyme that intercepts the unstable aglycone rather than a direct effector of MYR. Knowledge of aglycone lifetimes will enable elucidation of how the various SPs reroute aglycones to different products.

Virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation in Enterococcus spp. isolated from retail shrimps

A total of 60 samples from retail raw, cooked and ready-to-eat shrimps were collected and the prevalence of Enterococcus spp, their virulence factors, antibiotic resistance and biofilm-forming ability was determined. Most of the strains were isolated from ready-to-eat shrimps (16/20; 80%) followed by raw shrimps (11/20; 55%) and cooked shrimps (8/20; 40%). Among the 35 isolates, Enterococcus faecalis (62.9%) and Enterococcus faecium (28.6%) were the dominant species. More than half of all investigated isolates (65.7%) were resistant to at least one class of antibiotic, and 16 (45.7%) of the strains were classified as multidrug resistant. A high percentage of isolates were resistant to tetracycline (48.6%), followed by tigecycline and fosfomycin (45.7%). All of the enterococci isolates, carried between 5 and 9 tested virulence genes. The presence of esp (100%), gelE (88.6%), efaA (77.1%) genes and sex pheromones cpd (100%) cob (94.3%), ccf (94.3%) were found most frequently in all of the tested enterococci species. Shrimp strains showed a moderate or weak ability to produce biofilm. Our data indicate that shrimps can be considered a reservoir of antibiotic resistant, virulence strains from the genus Enterococcus.

Biofilm synthesis and presence of virulence factors among enterococci isolated from patients and water samples.

The goal of this study was to compare biofilm synthesis among enterococci recovered from clinical samples (infection or colonization) of patients as well as environmental samples in order to determine possible virulence factors and clonal relationship. During a two-year period, clinical samples (blood, catheter tips, bronchial secretions, wounds, peritoneal fluid, urine) and rectal swabs collected from hospitalized patients as well as environmental water samples were tested for the presence of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the disc diffusion method and Etest. Strains were tested for the presence of vanA, vanB, esp, ace and asp genes by PCR. Clones were identified by PFGE (SmaI). From infected patients, 48 strains were identified: 24 Enterococcus faecium (10 vanA-positive, 14 vancomycin-susceptible) and 24 Enterococcus faecalis (one vanA-positive, 23 vancomycin-susceptible). Among 143 colonizing isolates, 134 were Enterococcus faecium (58 vanA-positive, 11 vanB-positive, 65 vancomycin-susceptible) and nine Enterococcus faecalis (three vanA-positive, two vanB-positive, four vancomycin-susceptible). Among 167 environmental water samples, 51 Enterococcus faecalis and 19 Enterococcus faecium isolates, all glycopeptide-susceptible, were recovered. In total, 64 strains produced biofilm, whereas 34 were esp-positive, 64 asp-positive and 54 ace-positive. Biofilm production was associated with the presence of esp (P < 0.001) and ace genes (P = 0.021), being higher in infecting (P < 0.001) and water (P 0.005) isolates as compared with colonizing ones. Clones of environmental water-strains were different than the patients' clones. The differences found in the incidence of antibiotic resistance, virulence factors and clones suggest that hospital and water enterococci are of different origin.

Spread of Enterococcal Surface Protein in Antibiotic Resistant Entero-coccus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis isolates from Urinary Tract Infections.

Enterococci rank among leading cause of nosocomial bacteremia and urinary tract infection in hospital and community acquired infections. Several traits that may contribute to enhanced virulence have been identified in Enterococci. Extracellular surface protein (Esp) is a virulence factor that contributes in biofilm formation and resistance to environmental stresses. In this study we aimed to determine occurrence of esp in E. faecium and E. faecalis isolates isolated from urinary tract infections and to investigate whether there is any correlation between presence of esp and antibiotic resistance. One hundred and sixty six isolates were collected from patients with UTI and after identification by biochemical and PCR, antibiotic resistances were examined. The presence of esp was investigated by primer-specific PCR. 43.3% of isolates identified as E. faecium and 56.7% as E. faecalis. The esp gene was found in 76.1% of E. faecium isolates and 77.9% of E. faecalis isolate. There were significant correlation between esp positive E. faecium and resistance to Vancomycin (p<0.01), also in E.faecalis we found correlation between esp positive and resistance to Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol and Tetracycline (p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.01 respectively). Occurrence of esp in our isolates from urinary tract infection was high that indicates importance of this gene in urinary tract infections and shows importance of ability to forming biofilm and hydrophobicity of surface of Enterococci for causing urinary infection by Enterococci. Also, our finding showed significant correlation between resistance to antibiotics and presence of esp in Enterococci.

Assessment of biofilm formation by enterococci isolates from urinary tract infections with different virulence profiles

This study aimed to investigate possible associations between virulence profiles and biofilm formation in Clinical UTI isolates. Isolates were collected from five university hospitals and identified and characterized for the presence of virulence factors by PCR. Biofilm assays were conducted in 96 well microtiter plates by reading the OD570 after crystal violet staining. 75% of isolates had esp gene, 38.77% had asa1, 84.18% had ace, 81.63% had efaA, 93.36% had ebpR, 34.18% had cylA, 81.63% had gelE and 17.35% had hyl. Biofilm experiences were done and isolates having asa1 or efaA genes produced more biofilms than negative ones (P=0.011, P=0.008), but the presence of esp, ace, cylA or gelE genes in isolates had no effect on biofilm formation. Isolates possessing hyl had much lower biofilm formation (P=0.000). Present study showed that the esp, ace, gelE and cylA genes do not seem to be necessary nor sufficient for the production of biofilm in enterococci but the presence of efaA and asa1 correlates with increased biofilm formation of urinary tract isolates. Also the low prevalence of hyl among enterococci isolated from UTIS and its association with poor biofilm production indicate that the absence of this gene can be an advantage in the pathogenesis of UTIs.

VanA-containing E. faecium isolates of clonal complex CC17 in clinical and environmental samples in a Tunisian hospital

Twenty-eight vancomycin (VA)–resistant enterococci isolated from different patients (n = 16) and also from the environment (n = 12) were recovered in a Tunisian military hospital during 2012–2013. The mechanisms of resistance to VA and to other antibiotics as well as the presence of esp and hyl virulence genes were determined in these isolates by PCR, being their clonal relationship analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). VA resistance mechanisms detected were as follows (species-patient/environment): vanA (Enterococcus faecium, 13/5), vanC1 (Enterococcus gallinarum, 3/0), and vanC2 (Enterococcus casseliflavus, 0/7). Most of the VA-resistant enterococci presented a multiresistance phenotype and harbored different resistance genes (erm(B), tet(M), tet(L), ant(6)-Ia, aac(6’)-aph(2”), aph(3’)-IIIa, and catA). The PFGE revealed the presence of 3 clones (A, B, C) and 1 closely related pattern (A1) among the 13 vanA-containing E. faecium isolates of patients showing 11 of them the A-A1 patterns. The clone A was also detected in all 5 environmental vanA-containing E. faecium isolates. Strains did not contain esp or hyl virulence genes. Multilocus sequence typing was performed in 4 E. faecium isolates representative of the 4 detected pulsotypes (A, A1, B, and C), and 2 different sequence types were identified (ST18 and ST80), both of them included in clonal complex CC17. These strains contained the IS16 element and showed ampicillin and ciprofloxacin resistance. VA resistance could be an emerging problem in Tunisia, and this is one of the first cases described so far in this country.

English

Enterococcus faecium has become an increasingly important nosocomial pathogen due to formation of biofilms on several surfaces. Sixty one (61) E. faecium strains isolated from blood, urine and fecal were assessed for biofilm production, the effect of different glucose concentration on biofilm production and also the presence of esp, fsr and gelE genes. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method was performed to show chromosomal similarities and also to determine correlation between biofilm formation ability and genetic identity of E. faecium strains. It was observed that glucose concentration of the medium and incubation period can affect biofilm formation of the bacteria. When tested strains were incubated in a medium containing 1% glucose for 48 h, 66.66% of urine isolates, 60.71% fecal isolates and 25% of blood isolates produced strong biofilm structures. esp-positive strains (80% of the all isolates) were also identified as strong biofilm producers compared to esp-negative isolates. As a result of PFGE analyses, isolates numbered 14 (isolated from fecal sample) and 81 (isolated from blood sample) were classified in minor group B at a level of 48% similarity. Out of these two isolates, all the isolates were included in major group A with 43% similarity level and this group was subdivided into six subgroups. Key words: Enterococcus faecium, biofilm, Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), esp, fsr, gelE.

Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance of Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Isolates Recovered from Three States of Mexico. Detection of Linezolid Resistance

The virulence of Enterococcus faecalis is associated with three proteins involved in biofilm production: Ace, Agg, and Esp. Isolates also vary with respect to drug resistance. The present study investigated four characteristics of clinical isolates of E. faecalis recovered from three hospitals in Mexico, including biofilm production, the presence of biofilm-related genes, antibiotic susceptibility, and clonal diversity. We studied 109 clinical isolates. Biofilm formation was investigated using crystal violet and the safranin method with biofilm index correction. The presence of ace, agg, and esp genes was determined by PCR. Susceptibility to antibiotics was determined by the broth microdilution method and clonal relatedness was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Using the crystal violet method, 4.6% (5/109) of isolates were high biofilm producers, 48% (52/109) were moderate producers, 20% (39/109) were low producers, and 11% (12/109) were nonproducers. The agg gene was present in 44% (48/109), the ace gene in 39% (43/109), and the esp gene in 33% (36/109). The esp gene was associated with biofilm production (p <0.001), whereas the ace gene correlated with tetracycline resistance (p <0.01). The biofilm index was associated with the presence of both esp plus agg in glucose medium (p= 0.006). Clinical isolates showed high resistance to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. Also, 2% of isolates were resistant to linezolid and there was no vancomycin resistance. PFGE revealed 109 different restriction patterns. The presence of the esp and agg gene was associated with biofilm production, whereas the presence of the ace gene correlated with tetracycline resistance. Overall, a moderate resistance to antibiotics was detected and there was no clonal relatedness among isolates.

Enterococcus faecium resistente a glucopéptidos. Análisis del genotipo de resistencia, virulencia y líneas genéticas

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to analyse the genotypic characteristics of all Enterococcus isolates with acquired vancomycin resistance (VRE) recovered in the Hospital Clinic (Barcelona, Spain) in a period of three years and two months. MethodsAll VRE isolated in the referred Hospital in the period January 2004-March 2007 were included in the study. The vancomycin resistance mechanism was investigated, as well as other antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Isolates were also typed by pulsed-field-gel-electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus-sequence-typing (MLST). ResultsThirty-nine VRE were recovered, all being identified as E. faecium, representing 2% of total enterococci obtained in that period. Thirty-eight of them carried the vanA gene, and one isolate the vanB2 gene. The 39 VRE were classified into 13 different pulsotypes (A-M), with one main pulsotype, A, which included 13 isolates. The sequence type was identified by MLST in 24 VRE (with unrelated or closely-related PFGE patterns), and they were ascribed to the clonal complex CC17, but two classified as CC9. All VRE showed a multiresistance phenotype, including, in most cases ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, streptomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin and chloramphenicol, harbouring multiple antibiotic resistance genes. The presence of esp and/or hyl genes was identified in 37 VRE. ConclusionAll VRE, but one, showed the vanA genotype and they were mostly ascribed to the high-risk clonal complex CC17.

Frequency of ace, epa and elrA Genes in Clinical and Environmental Strains of Enterococcus faecalis

Surface proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of enterococcal infections. Some of them are candidates for a vaccine, e.g., the frequency of endocarditis in rats vaccinated with Ace protein was 75% as 12 opposed to 100% in those who weren't. However, there are other components of enterococcal cells, such as Epa antigens or internalin-like proteins, which may be used in the prophylaxis of infections caused by them. However, also other virulence factors and resistance to antibiotics are important during enterococcal infection. Therefore, the relevance of ace, epa, elrA, other virulence genes, as well as resistance to antibiotics was investigated. 161 Enterococcus faecalis strains isolated from teaching hospitals in Lodz, cultured according to standard microbiological methods, were investigated for the presence of genes encoding surface proteins by PCR. Results were analyzed with χ(2) test. The elrA gene was found in all clinical and environmental strains, the ace gene was also widespread among E. faecalis (96.9%). Both tested epa genes were found in the majority of isolates (83.25%). There was correlation between the presence of esp and ace genes (p=0.046) as well as between epa and agg genes (p=0.0094; χ(2) test). The presence of the genes encoding surface proteins investigated in our study in the great majority of isolates implies that they would appear to be required during E. faecalis infection. Therefore, they could be excellent targets in therapy of enterococcal infections or, as some studies show, candidates for vaccines.

Uncommitted role of enterococcal surface protein, Esp, and origin of isolates on biofilm production by Enterococcus faecalis isolated from bovine mastitis

This study was conducted in order to determine the occurrence of esp and biofilm formation among Enterococcus faecalis causing mastitis isolated from different bovine and environmental origins. A total of 41 E. faecalis isolates were obtained from clinical mastitis before antibiotic therapy, subclinical mastitis, dried manure bedding samples, and postpartum milk samples. Isolates were screened for biofilm formation using microtiter plate method using tryptic soy broth with 0.25% glucose as media. Isolates were tested for the presence of the esp gene, which has been reported to be essential for biofilm formation in enterococci, by means of the polymerase chain reaction. Analysis of the relationship between the presence of esp and the biofilm formation capacity in E. faecalis showed that the esp gene was not identified in any of the 18 biofilm-producing E. faecalis isolates. Moreover, two of the three non-biofilm-producing E. faecalis strains were esp positive. In addition, the biofilm assay mean values were not changed with different origins of isolation. These results suggest the following: (1) lack of strict association between the presence of esp and biofilm formation and (2) widespread biofilm formation capacity among different sources of E. faecalis isolates derived from bovine mastitis.

Differences in biofilm formation and virulence factors between clinical and fecal enterococcal isolates of human and animal origin

The present study investigated the possible correlation between carriage of the virulence genes esp and fsrb, production of hemolysin and gelatinase and biofilm formation in human vs. animal enterococcal isolates. A collection of 219 enterococcal isolates recovered from clinical and fecal surveillance samples of hospitalized patients and 132 isolates from animal feces were studied. Isolates were tested for hemolysin and gelatinase phenotypically and for quantitative biofilm production by a microtitre method. Genes esp and fsrb were detected by PCR. Human Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis isolates from both surveillance and clinical samples produced biofilm significantly more often than animal isolates (P < 0.0001 for both species). The quantity of biofilm did not differ significantly between human and animal isolates, while was significantly higher in esp-positive compared with esp-negative human E. faecium isolates (P < 0.0001). The frequency of esp gene carriage was significantly higher in human compared with animal E. faecium and E. faecalis isolates (P < 0.0001). The gene fsrb was detected significantly more often in animal than human E. faecium isolates (P 0.004). Hemolysin production was significantly more common in human clinical compared with animal E. faecalis isolates (P < 0.0001). Similar proportions of animal and human E. faecalis produced gelatinase, which was significantly correlated with the presence of fsrb gene (P < 0.0001) in both human clinical and animal E. faecalis isolates. The hemolysin trait did not exhibit any correlation with the presence of esp and fsrb genes, but appeared to be linked with enhanced quantity of biofilm production in both human clinical and animal E. faecalis isolates. Production of gelatinase was associated with the proportion and the degree of biofilm production mainly in animal E. faecalis isolates.

Mosquito Gut Bacterium May Curb Malaria

Before Plasmodium falciparum, the most important human malaria parasite, can infect people, it must first infect its mosquito host. But that’s not always so easy to do, according to a team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Malaria Institute at Macha in Zambia. The team reports that a bacterium naturally found in mosquitoes produces a short-lived molecule that can kill the P. falciparum parasite in its early stages of life.1 “These bacteria could be used for the development of a biocontrol strategy [to combat malaria],” says senior author George Dimopoulos, an associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Dimopoulos and his colleagues isolated bacteria from the midgut of wild Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes collected in Zambia, then fed the bacteria to specimens of the main malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa (An. gambiae) and Asia (An. stephensi). They observed that certain Gram-negative bacteria inhibited the early development of P. falciparum in these mosquitoes. One newly discovered member of the Enterobacter genus, Esp_Z, almost completely curtailed the development of P. falciparum ookinetes, oocysts, and sporozoites in vitro. Further study indicated the bacterium’s effectiveness was the result of its production of reactive oxygen species, which were previously known to kill P. falciparum. The study was partially funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. John Beier, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Miami who was not involved in the research, calls the finding a “significant discovery.” Beier says being able to deliver such a bacterium to wild mosquitoes may decrease the rate of transmission of malaria in humans. Existing strategies to combat malaria—including insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying of insecticides, and efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding sites such as stagnant water—are not sufficient to eliminate the disease, according to Beier. In the most recent figures available, the World Health Organization reports there were 247 million cases of malaria in 2008 and nearly 1 million deaths, mostly among children in Africa.2 Panel A shows P. falciparum parasites (elongated bodies stained in blue) that have developed in the absence of Esp_Z, a newly discovered member of the Enterobacter genus. Panel B shows that parasite numbers decrease drastically in the presence of Esp_Z ... Dimopoulos says one potential method of using these bacteria to fight malaria would be to capitalize on mosquitoes’ hunger for sugar. Whereas female mosquitoes need blood only for the development of eggs, males and females must feed on sugar every day; plant nectar is their food of choice. “We could mix the bacteria into an artificial nectar and spray it on vegetation,” Dimopoulos says, “or we could develop so-called feeding stations to attract the mosquitoes, where they would feed on nectar and pick up the bacteria as well.” Similar techniques are being tested in other countries. In Mali, researchers reported that spraying local plants with a bait of fermented fruit juice mixed with boric acid reduced the population of An. gambiae by 90% at one study site.3 A study in Israel demonstrated that when sugar water spiked with the insecticide spinosad was sprayed on the fruit trees where mosquitoes normally fed, the mosquito population was virtually wiped out.4,5 Beier notes more research is needed to understand mosquitoes’ sugar-feeding behavior in nature—something he himself is studying. He also says there should be an effort to find more of the sort of inhibitory bacteria that Dimopoulos has identified. “I think there is a need to demonstrate how such bacteria would work in multiple mosquito species. Wherever there is malaria transmission, you have a number of different competent vector species,” he says. Dimopoulos and his colleagues reported finding Esp_Z in only 25% of the mosquitoes sampled.1 He says this may reflect the vagaries of sampling, or perhaps not all mosquitoes are exposed to the bacterium or the bacterium may have trouble colonizing the mosquito gut. He and his colleagues are working to help the bacterium better establish itself in the mosquito gut. “Through many, many rounds of selection, one can adapt this bacterium to become better at colonizing the mosquito,” Dimopoulos says.

Virulence determinants in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium vanA isolated from different sources at University Hospital of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

Enterococcus faecium, especially those showing multidrug resistance, has emerged as a significant cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. However, relatively little is known about the virulence and pathogenesis of this species. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of four putative virulence determinants of E. faecium and to correlate them with phenotypic traits. Using forty E. faecium vanA-type isolates from hospitalized patients and their environmental vicinity, we determined the following: the antimicrobial susceptibility profile, occurrence of the genes cylA, efaA, esp, and gelE, hemolytic and gelatinase activities, capacity to form biofilm and in vitro adhesion to epithelial cells. All isolates were shown to be resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin, as well as to two or more other antimicrobials. All isolates harbored at least one putative virulence marker, and the prevalence was as follows: esp, 87.5%; efaA, 82.5%; gelE, 70%; and cylA, 65%. The presence of 4 genes was observed in 32.5% isolates. The presence of the efaA was associated with the presence of esp, regardless of the source of the isolates. A positive association with the presence of cylA and hemolytic activity in the sheep blood agar assay was observed. No association was found for gelE and gelatinase production in the agar plate assay, for efaA and LLC-MK2 cell adhesion, and for esp and biofilm formation on polystyrene surface. These results show the presence of putative virulence genes in multiple antimicrobial resistant E. faecium isolates from different sources in a hospital setting.

Comparative analysis of virulence determinants and mass spectral profiles of Finnish and Lithuanian endodontic Enterococcus faecalis isolates

Putative virulence factors of Enterococcus faecalis have been proposed by several workers and, by analogy, these have been linked to strains of endodontic origin. However, their distribution within the cell population is unknown. In the present study, isolates were taken from the dental root canals of two defined human populations, Lithuanian and Finnish, and examined for a range of virulence properties. In addition, surface-associated molecules and intracellular proteins were compared using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization/mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and ProteinChip capture/MS (SELDI-TOF-MS), respectively. Twenty-three Lithuanian and 35 Finnish dental root canal isolates were included. The esp, gelE, ace and efaA genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction, and cytolysin and gelatinase phenotypes were determined by hydrolysis of horse blood agar and gelatine agar, respectively. Protein extracts and surface-associated molecules of whole cells were analysed by SELDI-TOF-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS, respectively. Presence of esp (n = 15), cytolysin (n = 9), ace (n = 55) and efaA (n = 58) was not statistically different in the two samples, whereas gelE and gelatinase production was detected more frequently in the Finnish material (chi-squared, P < 0.01). Analysis of protein profiles by SELDI-TOF-MS showed clustering of cytolysin-producing strains, whereas MALDI-TOF-MS generated profiles that clustered according to the samples' origin and, furthermore, to atypical quinupristin-dalfopristin susceptibility. A high prevalence of virulence factors was demonstrated in both population types. SELDI-TOF-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS proved useful in distinguishing between different E. faecalis phenotypes and they may be useful technologies for elucidating the eco-distribution of E. faecalis in humans.

Epidemic and Nonepidemic Multidrug-ResistantEnterococcus faecium

The epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) in Europe is characterized by a large community reservoir. In contrast, nosocomial outbreaks and infections (without a community reservoir) characterize VREF in the United States. Previous studies demonstrated host-specific genogroups and a distinct genetic lineage of VREF associated with hospital outbreaks, characterized by the variant esp-gene and a specific allele-type of the purK housekeeping gene (purK1). We investigated the genetic relatedness of vanA VREF (n=108) and vancomycin-susceptible E. faecium (VSEF) (n=92) from different epidemiologic sources by genotyping, susceptibility testing for ampicillin, sequencing of purK1, and testing for presence of esp. Clusters of VSEF fit well into previously described VREF genogroups, and strong associations were found between VSEF and VREF isolates with resistance to ampicillin, presence of esp, and purK1. Genotypes characterized by presence of esp, purK1, and ampicillin resistance were most frequent among outbreak-associated isolates and almost absent among community surveillance isolates. Vancomycin-resistance was not specifically linked to genogroups. VREF and VSEF from different epidemiologic sources are genetically related; evidence exists for nosocomial selection of a subtype of E. faecium, which has acquired vancomycin-resistance through horizontal transfer.

A potential virulence gene, hylEfm, predominates in Enterococcus faecium of clinical origin.

An open reading frame (hyl(Efm)) with homologies to previously described hyaluronidase genes has been identified in nonstool isolates of Enterococcus faecium. E. faecium isolates (n=577) from diverse sources were screened for the presence of hyl(Efm) and esp(Efm), a putative virulence gene associated with epidemic E. faecium strains. The presence of esp(Efm) was roughly twice that of hyl(Efm), but both were found primarily in vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolates in nonstool cultures obtained from patients hospitalized in the United States. These data suggest that specific E. faecium strains may be enriched in determinants that make them more likely to cause clinical infections. Differences in the prevalence of these strains may help explain variations in the clinical importance of multiresistant E. faecium across different continents.

Psychics and ESP: The role of population stereotypes

While ostensibly investigating telepathically sent messages, the present experiment examined subjects' preferred responses, i.e. population stereotypes. Undergraduate students (N = 351) were asked a series of questions such as: “I am thinking of a number from 1 to 10. Write down the first number that comes to mind.” Throughout the series the experimenter thought of, or “sent”, non‐stereotyped answers in order to test for the effects of ESP. While there was no evidence to support the presence of ESP, the expectation that some responses, population stereotypes, would occur with frequencies greater than chance was confirmed. 1986 Australian Psychological Society