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Review
. 2019 Feb:47:26-31.
doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.10.005. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Colonization of the mammalian intestinal tract by enterococci

Leou Ismael Banla  1 , Nita H Salzman  2 , Christopher J Kristich  3
Affiliations
Review

Colonization of the mammalian intestinal tract by enterococci

Leou Ismael Banla et al. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Enterococci are colonizers of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and normally live in healthy association with their human host. However, enterococci are also major causes of healthcare-acquired infections, prompting the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) a serious threat to public health. Because of both intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance, enterococci proliferate in the GIT during antibiotic therapy, leading to dissemination and disease. The recognition that colonization of the GIT is a pre-requisite for enterococcal infections has prompted research to study mechanisms used by enterococci to colonize this niche. This review discusses major findings of recent research to understand GIT colonization by enterococci using diverse experimental models, each of which exhibits unique strengths. This work has revealed enterococcal transcriptional reprogramming in the GIT, contributions of specific enterococcal genes encoded by the core genome to GIT colonization, the impact of genome plasticity, and roles for intra-species and inter-species interactions in modulation of GIT colonization.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Multifactorial strategy for enterococcal GIT colonization.
Multiple traits encoded by both the core enterococcal genome as well as mobile genetic elements together influence GIT colonization.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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