Sex-pheromone system and plasmid transfer in Enterococcus feacalis

Abstract EN

Pheromone-inducible plasmid transfer is an important mechanism for dissemination of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in these organisms.

Plasmid-free strains of Enterococcus faecalis secrete at least half a dozen peptide sex pheromone-probably many more-that induce a mating response by potential donor strains carrying members of specific families of conjugative plasmids.

The response is associated with synthesis of surface proteins that facilitates formation of donor-recipient mating aggregates.

When a recipient acquires a given plasmid , the corresponding pheromone becomes shutdown or masked.

Although the structure of at least five of these peptides has been determined.