Phenotypic and Genotypic Study of Gelatinase and β-Haemolysis Activities in Faecal Enterococci of Poultry in Portugal

The detection of gelatinase and β-haemolysis activities was carried out in 83 faecal enterococci (43 Enterococcus faecalis, 33 E. faecium, five E. durans and two E. hirae) of poultry origin. In addition, the presence of genes of the gelE-fsrABC locus and of the cyl operon (cylLL, cylLS, cylA, cylB and cylM) were studied by polymerase chain reaction and correlated with gelatinase and β-haemolysis production, respectively. Most of our E. faecalis isolates were gelatinase-positive (88%), being this activity not frequent in the other enterococcal species (2.5%). Only one of the 33 E. faecium isolates showed a positive gelatinase reaction. All enterococci that showed gelatinase activity harboured the gelE and fsrABC genes, although these genes were also detected in four E. faecalis and one E. durans gelatinase-negative isolates. Most of our non-E. faecalis gelatinase-negative isolates did not harbour gelE-fsrABC genes. A high proportion of faecal enterococci of poultry origin harboured genes of the cyl operon (71%), although only 7% contained the five cyl tested genes (all of them E. faecalis). Only one isolate of our series could express β-haemolysis, harbouring the whole cyl operon. The cylLS genotype was the most prevalent in our enterococci (39%) and also the most prevalent among our E. faecalis isolates (60%). Other genotypes detected were the following ones (% of enterococci): cylA + cylB + cylM (13%), cylLL + cylA (4%), cylLL (4%), cylLL + cylA + cylB + cylM (2%), cylLL + cylA + cylM (1%) and cylA + cylM (1%). Both phenotypic and genotypic assays are important to evaluate the virulence potential of enterococci.