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Analysis of electrophoretic whole-cell protein profiles as a tool for characterization ofEnterococcus species

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Abstract

The whole-cell protein-profiling technique was evaluated for identifyingEnterococcus species. Reference strains, strains from human infections, from animals other than human, and from environmental sources were studied. Whole-cell extracts were obtained by lysozyme treatment and were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and densitometry. EachEnterococcus species had a unique and distinguishable whole-cell protein profile. The major differences among species-specific profiles were found in the positions corresponding to 60-40 and 30-20 kDa. Profiles of the same species did not show qualitative variations. Analysis of whole-cell protein profiles was shown to be a relatively simple, easy, and reproducible procedure for the reliable and fast differentiation and identification of the enterococcal species.

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Merquior, V.L.C., Peralta, J.M., Facklam, R.R. et al. Analysis of electrophoretic whole-cell protein profiles as a tool for characterization ofEnterococcus species. Current Microbiology 28, 149–153 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01571056

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01571056

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