Apparent nosocomial adaptation of Enterococcus faecalis predates the modern hospital era

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Pöntinen, AK (Author) Other; Top, J (Author) Other; Arredondo Alonso, S (Author) Other; Tonkin Hill, G (Author) Other; Freitas, AR (Author) Other; Novais, Carla (Author) FFUP; Gladstone, RA (Author) Other; Pesonen, M (Author) Other; Meneses, R (Author) Other; Pesonen, H (Author) Other; Lees, JA (Author) Other; Jamrozy, D (Author) Other; Bentley, SD (Author) Other; Lanza, VF (Author) Other; Torres, C (Author) Other; Luisa Peixe (Author) FFUP; Coque, TM (Author) Other; Parkhill, J (Author) Other; Schürch, AC (Author) Other; Willems, RJL (Author) Other; Corander, J (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Nature Communications

Vol. 12

ISSN: 2041-1723

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 1 Citation

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00X-XWZ

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21749-5

Abstract (EN): <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p><jats:italic>Enterococcus faecalis</jats:italic> is a commensal and nosocomial pathogen, which is also ubiquitous in animals and insects, representing a classical generalist microorganism. Here, we study <jats:italic>E. faecalis</jats:italic> isolates ranging from the pre-antibiotic era in 1936 up to 2018, covering a large set of host species including wild birds, mammals, healthy humans, and hospitalised patients. We sequence the bacterial genomes using short- and long-read techniques, and identify multiple extant hospital-associated lineages, with last common ancestors dating back as far as the 19th century. We find a population cohesively connected through homologous recombination, a metabolic flexibility despite a small genome size, and a stable large core genome. Our findings indicate that the apparent hospital adaptations found in hospital-associated <jats:italic>E. faecalis</jats:italic> lineages likely predate the ¿modern hospital¿ era, suggesting selection in another niche, and underlining the generalist nature of this nosocomial pathogen.</jats:p>

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13