Enterococcus

En.te.ro.coc'cus. Gr. neut. n. enteron , intestine; N.L. masc. n. coccus , coccus; from Gr. masc. n. kokkos, grain, seed; N.L. masc. n. Enterococcus , intestinal coccus. Bacillota / Bacilli / Lactobacillales / Enterococcaceae / Enterococcus Bacteria of the genus Enterococcus are Gram‐stain‐positive, non‐spore‐forming, facultatively anaerobic, and catalase‐negative ovoid cocci occurring singly, in pairs or in short chains. Phylogenetically, the genus belongs to the family Enterococcaceae within the phylum Bacillota . These microorganisms are a natural part of the microbiota of various invertebrates and vertebrates, including humans, but they can also be found in both marine and freshwater environments, on aquatic and terrestrial plants, and, to a lesser extent, in soil. Selected strains are beneficial in the food industry, where they are part of bacterial communities involved in the fermentation of dairy, plant, and meat products. However, they can also be agents of food spoilage. Certain strains are used in several commercial probiotic preparations due to their beneficial effects on human and animal health. In contrast, due to their opportunistic pathogenic potential and frequent multidrug, high‐level resistance to antimicrobial agents, enterococci are leading causes of healthcare‐associated infections, urinary tract infections, and endocarditis. At the time of writing, the genus consists of 63 species validly named according to the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP). The type species is Enterococcus faecalis Schleifer and Kilpper‐Bälz 1984 VP (basonym: Streptococcus faecalis Andrewes and Horder 1906 AL ). DNA G + C content (mol%) : 34.5–44.5 (genome). Type species : Enterococcus faecalis Schleifer and Kilpper‐Bälz 1984 VP (basonym: Streptococcus faecalis Andrewes and Horder 1906 AL ).