Genomic insight into Enterococcus faecium biofilm formation isolated from catheter associated urinary tract infection

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Enterococcus faecium is a major nosocomial pathogen frequently associated with catheter-re- lated infections and biofilm-mediated antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to investigate the genomic determinants and structural characteristics underlying biofilm formation in a clinical E. faecium isolate recovered from a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).

Materials and Methods: A clinical isolate, E. faecium MFKCC-BF.UR33, was subjected to whole-genome sequencing and comprehensive genome annotation to identify biofilm-associated and antimicrobial resistance genes. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to determine its relatedness to reference clinical strains. Structural modeling of selected biofilm-associated proteins was conducted using AlphaFold2 to assess their three-dimensional conformations and potential as therapeutic tar- gets.

Results: Whole-genome sequencing revealed a 3.32 Mb genome with a G+C content of 37.35%, comprising 2,321 predicted coding sequences and no detectable plasmids. Genome annotation identified several biofilm-associated genes, including sgrA, acm, fss3, scm, and efbA, as well as antimicrobial resistance genes (antA/B, tetM, tetL, efmA, and liaFSR). Phylogeneticanalysis placed the isolate within the E. faecium clade, closely related to other clinical reference strains. Structural modeling demonstrated high-confidence 3D structures for Fss3 and EfbA proteins.

Conclusion: The integration of genomic and structural analyses provides insights into the genetic and structural basis of biofilm formation in E. faecium and establishes a foundation for future functional and structure-based investigations.