Omics approach for safety and industrial potential assessment of food isolated Enterococci.

MARTINO, G.; D´ANGELO, M.; MORTERA, P.; BLANCATO, V.; ALARCON, S.; MAGNI, CH.

Cordoba

Congreso; Reunión Anual. LII Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2016

The use of Enterococcus in food industry is under debate, they contribute during the ripening process of cheese but can be potentially hazardous to human health. In this work, the genomes of four cheese isolatedEnterococcusstrains were analyzed and relevant findings verifiedin vitro. Phylogenomic studies indicated that strains IQ110, GM70 and GM75 areE. faeciumspecies whereas IQ23 (previouslydescribed asE. faecium), is actuallyE. durans. Regarding their technological properties, genes related to bacteriocins synthesis and bile salt, citrate, casein, peptide and aminoacid degradation pathways were found. The volatile profiles of the strains were evaluated using solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS spectrometry, a correlation with the encoded pathways was found. In contrast, the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes were also identifiedin silico. Then, we challengedG. mellonella larvae and found that whileIQ23, IQ110, and GM75 were as lethal asE. faecalisJH2-2 isolated from urinary infection, GM70 was harmless. Finally, a differential pattern of resistance to ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, chloramphenicol, and rifampicin were observed among strains. In conclusion, bioinformatic as well as biochemical approaches should be conducted to better understand the technological or pathogenic behavior of Enterococcus strains independently of their isolation source.