Bacteriocin typing of clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae.

A total of 16 selected bacteriocins of Enterobacter cloacae were characterized presumptively. They proved to be noninfectious, sedimentable (105,000 X g), resistant against chloroform and trypsin, and nonfilterable. The host ranges were essentially species specific. Based on susceptibility to one or more of these 16 bacteriocins, 242 of 308 (78.6%) clinical E. cloacae isolates were typed and assigned to 52 provisional bacteriocin types. Several outbreaks of nosocomial cross-infection were discerned retrospectively. Thus, bacteriocin typing of E. cloacae isolates may prove useful for controlling hospital infection.