There was a good correlation between presence of gelE gene and gelatinase activity and, also, between presence of cylA gene and hemolytic activity (Table 2). Production of biogenic amines All the tested strains were positive for the tdc gene and were able to produce tyramine (Table 4). In contrast, none of them harbored the hdc gene and histamine was accordingly not detected in the cultures (Table 4). All the E. faecalis strains contained the genes involved in putrescine biosynthesis and produced putrescine in broth cultures, while the results were negative for the two E. casseliflavus strains. The BMN 673 order ability to produce putrescine was variable in the other enterococcal species (E.

faecium, E. durans and E. hirae), having found both producing and non-producing strains (Table 4). There were only two strains -both belonging to E. hirae- in which the gene (agdDI) was present, but the production of the corresponding biogenic amine (putrescine) was SN-38 mouse not detected. Table 4 Detection of gene

determinants for the biosynthesis of biogenic amines and production among the enterococcal isolates           Putrescine Origin Species Strain Tyraminea Histamineb Gene cluster Production Porcine E. faecalis ECA3 + – + +     ECB1 + – + +     ECC5 + – + +     ECD2 + – + +     ECE1 + – + +     ECH6 + – + +     ECI1 + – + +     ECI3 + – + + Canine   PKG12 + – + +     PRA5 + – + + Ovine   EOA1 + – + +     EOB6A + – + + Feline   G8-1 K + – + + Human   C1252 + – + +     C901 + – + + Porcine E. faecium ECA2B + – + +     ECB4 + – + +     ECC2A + – - –     ECD3 + – - –     ECF2 + – - –     ECF5 + – - – Canine   PGAH11 + – - –     PKB4 + – - – Human   C656 + – - – Human E. durans C2341 + – + +     C1943 + – + +     C654 + – - –     C502 + – - – Porcine E. hirae ECC1 + – - –     ECG1 + – + – Ovine

  EOA2 + – + + Feline   EH11 + – + – Ovine E. casseliflavus EOB3 + – - –     EOB5 + – - – aDetection of the tdcA gene and production of tyramine in broth cultures; GPX6 bdetection of the hdcA gene and production of histamine in broth cultures. Antibiotic susceptibility and screening for van genes All the enterococcal strains showed susceptibility to tigecycline, linezolid and vancomycin, and exhibited high resistance to kanamycin. Their susceptibility to the rest of the antimicrobials included in this study is shown in Table 5. Most E. faecalis, E. faecium and E. hirae strains were resistant to tetracycline and chloramphenicol. All E. faecalis strains showed susceptibility to ampicillin whereas an important number of strains showed resistance to the rest of antibiotics tested. The strains identified as E. faecium and E. hirae did not present high-level resistance to gentamicin but exhibited high resistance rate towards the rest of antibiotics. Globally, E. casseliflavus was the species with a highest susceptibility to the antibiotics tested followed by E. durans.