Identification of plant-associated enterococci

Aims: Enterococcus isolates from forage grass were subjected to taxonomical investigations and tested for antibiotic resistance. Methods and Results: The identification procedure included phenotypic chara cterizations, restriction analyses of polymerase chain reaction-amplified 1 6S rDNA, whole-cell protein profile analyses and 16S rDNA sequence analyses . Agar diffusion tests were performed to detect antibiotic resistance. Conclusions: The isolates were identified as belonging to the species Enter ococcus faecium, Ent. mundtii, Ent. casseliflavus, Ent. faecalis and Ent. s ulfureus. However, the majority of isolates differed distinctly in their re striction patterns from those of known species. They formed a group of a ho mogeneous 16S rDNA genotype (VI). The 16S rDNA sequence of a representative isolate revealed the closest relationship to the species Ent. faecalis (si milarity of 97.4%). All isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, but almost a ll were resistant to gentamycin and streptomycin. Significance and Impact of the Study: The taxonomical investigations sugges t that the isolates of the 16S rDNA genotype VI represent a new plant-assoc iated Enterococcus species.