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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Enterococcus faecalis
Etymology: Genus name: Cocci (grains or berries) of the intestine.
Species epithet: related to feces.
Significance:  [Important]   
Alternative Species Name(s):Streptococcus faecalis
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Bacillota
Class
Bacilli
Order
Lactobacillales
Family
Enterococcaceae 
Genus
Enterococcus
Type Strain: ATCC 19433 and 19433-U = CCUG 19916 = NCTC 775
Macromorphology (smell):
   
Micromorphology: Non-motile cocci. However, some strains are motile.
Gram +/Gram -:G+
Metabolism: Facultatively anaerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:-/?
Other Enzymes: Esculinase +, α-galactosidase -, β-galactosidase -, hippuricase (+).
Biochemical Tests: Citrate -
Fermentation of carbohydrates:
D-glucose
+
lactose
+
maltose
+
L-rhamnose
v
sucrose
+
L-arabinose
-
cellobiose
+
D-mannitol
+
salicin
?
trehalose
+
glycerol
+
inulin
-
raffinose
-
D-sorbitol
v
starch
v
Other carbohydrates: D-Fruktos +, galaktos +, melibiose -, ribos +, xylitol -.
Spec. Char.: E. faecalis can grow in the presence of bile salts.
Special Media:
Enterococcus faecalis  Enterococcus faecalis  
E. faecalis can be cultivated on purple agar and ferments lactose under acid production (see Fig. 124:3). Slanetz and Bartley medium is used for enumeration of bacteria within the genus Enterococcus (see Fig. 124:4).
Disease:Opportunistic infections
Hosts: Different animal species
Clinical Picture:
Genome Sequence:
Acc-noStrainSize (bp)Genome
NC_004668 V583 3 218 031 1c + 3c 

16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
DQ411814 ATCC 19433T 1483 

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
 
About 50 species have been described within the genus Streptococcus. Many species within the genus Enterococcus have earlier been classified as streptococci and, thus, they are closely related.E. faecalis and E. faecium as well as E. avium are rather closely related.
Comment:E. faecalis is type species of the genus. Colonize the intestine and can transfer antibiotic resistance to more pathogenic species. Some strains are used as probioticum.
Updated:2023-03-08

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