The Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK.
J Appl Microbiol. 2022 May;132(5):3444-3460. doi: 10.1111/jam.15441. Epub 2022 Jan 26.
Enterococci, which are on the WHO list of priority pathogens, are commonly encountered in hospital acquired infection and are becoming increasing significant due to the development of strains resistant to multiple antibiotics. Enterococci are also important microorganisms in the environment, and their presence is frequently used as an indicator of faecal pollution. Their success is related to their ability to survive within a broad range of habitats and the ease by which they acquire mobile genetic elements, including plasmids, from other bacteria. The enterococci are frequently present within a bacterial biofilm, which provides stability and protection to the bacterial population along with an opportunity for a variety of bacterial interactions. Enterococci can accept extrachromosomal DNA both from within its own species and from other bacterial species, and this is enhanced by the proximity of the donor and recipient strains. It is this exchange of genetic material that makes the role of biofilms such an important aspect of the success of enterococci. There remain many questions regarding the most suitable model systems to study enterococci in biofilms and regarding the transfer of genetic material including antibiotic resistance in these biofilms. This review focuses on some important aspects of biofilm in the context of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in enterococci.
肠球菌属于世界卫生组织优先病原体名单，常见于医院获得性感染，由于对抗生素多种药物耐药的菌株的出现，其重要性日益增加。肠球菌也是环境中的重要微生物，其存在通常被用作粪便污染的指标。它们的成功与其在广泛的栖息地中生存的能力以及它们从其他细菌中获得移动遗传元件（包括质粒）的容易程度有关。肠球菌经常存在于细菌生物膜内，这为细菌种群提供了稳定性和保护，并为各种细菌相互作用提供了机会。肠球菌可以接受来自自身物种和其他细菌物种的染色体外 DNA，并且供体和受体菌株的接近程度增强了这种接受能力。正是这种遗传物质的交换，使得生物膜在肠球菌成功中的作用如此重要。关于在生物膜中研究肠球菌的最合适模型系统以及在这些生物膜中转移遗传物质（包括抗生素耐药性）的问题仍然存在很多。本文综述了生物膜在肠球菌水平基因转移（HGT）方面的一些重要方面。
