3rd ASM Conference on Enterococci

描述（由申请人提供）：肠球菌代表了广泛多样的细菌群，包括具有重要临床意义的物种。有些是人类肠道的天然居民，可能是机会致病菌。肠球菌是三大最常见的医院感染病原体之一，可引起尿路和伤口感染，以及细菌血症和心内膜炎。它们经常对多种抗生素产生耐药性，并在质粒和共轭转座子等可动员元件上隐藏相关决定因子，这使得临床感染的治疗成为一项重大挑战。肠球菌也代表了其他细菌属耐药基因的重要储存库。事实上，有证据表明，最近出现的金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）菌株对万古霉素的高水平耐药性很可能是由于从当地的肠球菌获得了相关的决定因素[Weigel等人，Science 302:1569(2003)]。与致病性相关的基因，如编码溶细胞素和“聚集物质”的基因，也被定位在可转移元件上，其中一些在肠球菌之间很容易转移，也可能转移到其他属。此外，肠球菌在食品发酵中的作用以及某些菌株作为益生菌的探索和使用已成为人们非常感兴趣的领域。近年来，人们对肠球菌的分子生物学和遗传学有了更多的了解。现在已经对粪肠杆菌和粪肠杆菌的基因组进行了测序，并确定了许多可传播的基因。正在继续确定与临床毒力有关的致病性岛和决定因素。最后，许多细菌素系统和生物膜形成重要因素的发现为肠球菌的生态学和生存能力提供了重要的信息。由美国微生物学会（ASM）主办的会议将于2010年7月30日至8月2日在俄勒冈州波特兰举行，这将是第三次肠球菌国际会议，上一次会议于2005年8月在丹麦举行。过去的会议参加人数很多，有200-300人出席。口头会议将包括：1)分子生物学和基因组学；2)毒性;3)抗生素治疗及耐药性；4)细菌素;5)质粒与水平转移；6)流行病学和食品联系；还有生物膜。还将举行两次海报会议。由于在肠球菌研究方面发表了大量的新材料，而且距离上次会议已经过去了五年，因此下一次会议尤其及时，人们正满怀热情地期待着。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The enterococci represent a widely diverse group of bacteria that includes species with significant clinical importance. Some are natural inhabitants of the human intestine and may be opportunistic pathogens. Enterococci are among the top three most common nosocomial agents -- giving rise to urinary tract and wound infections as well as bacteremias and endocarditis. Their frequent resistance to multiple antibiotics and harboring of related determinants on mobilizable elements like plasmids and conjugative transposons make treatment of clinical infections a major challenge. Enterococci also represent a significant reservoir of resistance genes for other bacterial genera. Indeed there is evidence that the recent emergence of high-level vancomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains is likely a result of acquisition of related determinant(s) from resident Enterococci [Weigel et al., Science 302:1569 (2003)]. Genes related to pathogenicity, such as those encoding cytolysins and "aggregation substance", have also been located on transferable elements, some of which transfer readily between the enterococci and possibly to other genera. In addition the involvement of enterococci in food fermentations as well as exploration and use of certain strains as probiotics have been areas of significant interest. Much knowledge has been gained in recent years with respect to the molecular biology and genetics of enterococci. Genomes of E. faecalis and E. faecium have now been sequenced and numerous transmissible elements have been characterized. Pathogenicity islands and determinants exhibiting relationships to clinical virulence are continuing to be identified. Finally, the discoveries of numerous bacteriocin-systems and factors important to biofilm formation have provided significant information relevant to the ecology and survivability of enterococci. The conference to be held in Portland, Oregon from July 30 through August 2, 2010 and sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) will represent the third international meeting on the subject of enterococci, the last being held in Denmark in August of 2005. Past conferences have been well attended -- with 200-300 participants present. Oral sessions will cover: 1) molecular biology and genomics; 2) virulence; 3) antibiotic therapy and resistance; 4) bacteriocins; 5) plasmids and horizontal transfer; 6) epidemiology and food connections; and 7) biofilms. Two poster sessions will also be held. Insofar as there is a significant amount of new material published in enterococcal research, and it will have been five years since the previous meeting, the next conference is especially timely and is being anticipated with much enthusiasm.