title: Partial characterization of plasmids from rabbit isolates of Pasteurella multocida.
abstract: Plasmids have not been reported for isolates of Pasteurella multocida from rabbits. We assayed 28 isolates of rabbit P. multocida for plasmids and sought to determine whether or not plasmid presence correlated with clinical or pathologic findings, serotype, toxin production, possession of pili, or biochemical characteristics. Fourteen isolates bore a single 1.6 Md (covalently closed circular form in 0.7% agarose gels) plasmid. An additional isolate had two plasmids which migrated as a closely-spaced doublet, centered around 1.6 Md. Eleven isolates appeared to have identical plasmids, according to Hae III and Hinf I digests. The apparent linear size of this common plasmid in 2% agarose gels was 2.1 Md, as calculated from the sums of the sizes of Hae III or Hinf I digestion fragments. Linearization of the common plasmid with Msp I produced an apparent size of 2.5 Md in 0.7% agarose gels. No correlations between presence of the common plasmid and somatic serotype, toxigenicity, presence of pili, antimicrobial resistance, selected biochemical characteristics, anatomic site from which the bacteria were cultured, or disease status of the host were found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55455.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunther
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bouma
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DeLong
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Cook
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D016979:Pasteurella multocida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010957:Plasmids; D011817:Rabbits / Q000382:microbiology*; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes