Identification of general stress genes in Enterococcus faecalis

The susceptibility and the acquisition of tolerance of E. faecalis ATCC 19433 to heat, ethanol, bile salts, NaCl, H2O2 and pH shifts were determined. During exposure to these environmental stresses, protein synthesis analysed by 2-D electrophoresis revealed 167 stress proteins. Six stress protein were found to be induced by at least six of the eight treatments and considered to be general stress proteins (Gsp). Western blotting identified two of these Gsp as DnaK and GroEL. Analysis of the four other Gsp revealed that at least two of them were not previously described.