Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the taxonomic identification and evaluate the safety of a bacterium, Enterococcus lactis IDCC 2105, isolated from homemade cheese in Korea, using whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis. It sought to identify the species level of this Enterococcus spp., assess its antibiotic resistance, and evaluate its virulence potential. WGS analysis confirmed the bacterial strain IDCC 2105 as E. lactis and identified genes responsible for resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin, specifically msrC, and eatAv, which are chromosomally located, indicating a minimal risk for horizontal gene transfer. The absence of plasmids in E. lactis IDCC 2105 further diminishes the likelihood of resistance gene dissemination. Additionally, our investigation into seven virulence factors, including hemolysis, platelet aggregation, biofilm formation, hyaluronidase, gelatinase, ammonia production, and β-glucuronidase activity, revealed no detectable virulence traits. Although bioinformatic analysis suggested the presence of collagen adhesion genes acm and scm, these were not corroborated by phenotypic virulence assays. Based on these findings, E. lactis IDCC 2105 presents as a safe strain for potential applications, contributing valuable information on its taxonomy, antibiotic resistance profile, and lack of virulence factors, supporting its use in food products.
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All funding for this study was entirely supplied by Yunovia Co., Ltd., previously known as ILDONG Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
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YHK and SHL conceived and designed the research. YHK and DHL analyzed bioinformatic data and created visualizations. HSS performed the antimicrobial resistance test. YHK, HSS, SHE, and DSL performed the virulence tests and analyzed the data. DSL, YKC, and SHL provided experimental resources and contributed new methods. YHK, DHL, and HSS wrote the original draft of the manuscript. YKC and TYK reviewed the manuscript. TYK acquired the financial support and supervised this project. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Kim, YH., Lee, DH., Seo, H.S. et al. Genome-based taxonomic identification and safety assessment of an Enterococcus strain isolated from a homemade dairy product. Int Microbiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-024-00496-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-024-00496-9