Pasteurella multocida subsp. multocida and P. multocida subsp. septica differentiation by PCR fingerprinting and alpha-glucosidase activity.
Pasteurella multocida is composed of three subspecies that are often differentiated by fermentation of sorbitol and dulcitol. We studied 35 dulcitol-negative P. multocida isolates from infected dog and cat bite wounds, 16 of which yielded weak and/or conflicting fermentation reactions in Andrades sorbitol, thus making it difficult to distinguish between the two dulcitol-negative subspecies of P. multocida, i.e., P. multocida subsp. multocida and P. multocida subsp. septica. All isolates and two control strains were further analyzed using a PCR fingerprinting technique with a single primer (M13 core) and assessed for alpha-glucosidase (alpha-Glu) activity. Although the PCR fingerprint patterns and alpha-Glu activity did not correlate well with the sorbitol fermentation reactions, they did correlate well with each other. All strains identified as P. multocida subsp. septica were positive for alpha-Glu activity and exhibited the group I PCR fingerprint profile. All strains categorized as P. multocida subsp. multocida displayed either the group II or group III PCR fingerprint profile; 9 of 11 of these isolates were alpha-Glu negative. These data suggest that both PCR fingerprinting and alpha-Glu activity provide reliable means for differentiating P. multocida subsp. multocida from P. multocida subsp. septica, particularly in strains that produce weak and/or discrepant sorbitol fermentation reactions.
Hunt Gerardo
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R. M. Alden Research Laboratory, Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, California 90404, USA. shuntger@dent.ucla.edu
Citron
D M
DM
Claros
M C
MC
Fernandez
H T
HT
Goldstein
E J
EJ
D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications*; D002415:Cats; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004285:Dogs; D005285:Fermentation; D004376:Galactitol / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016979:Pasteurella multocida / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000378:metabolism; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases / Q000378:metabolism*
D004376:Galactitol; D013012:Sorbitol; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases