Discrimination of Staphylococcus aureus biotypes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of DNA macro-restriction fragments.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of DNA macro-restriction fragments could provide better discrimination among the different biotypes previously described within the species Staphylococcus aureus than the traditional biochemical approach.


RESULTS
Seventy three Staph. aureus strains from various sources (human, animal or food origin) and belonging to eight biotypes, including the poultry-like biotype, tentatively designated as an 'abattoir' biotype, were genotyped by PFGE after SmaI digestion of DNA. The PFGE patterns were compared using the average linkage matching method (UPGMA) with the Dice coefficient. A total of 61 PFGE patterns were observed, showing between 31 and 100% similarity. In most cases, strains with the same biotype were grouped specifically into one, two or three separate sub-clusters. Strains from the 'abattoir' biotype were clustered in one separate sub-cluster.


CONCLUSIONS
The PFGE typing is useful to distinguish the traditional biotypes of Staph. aureus and has a more discriminatory power than the biochemical typing.


CONCLUSIONS
The PFGE typing confirms the 'abattoir' biotype as a separate group on a genetic level and is well suited to investigate modes of staphylococcal contamination of food.
Hennekinne
J A
JA
Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments, Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherches sur l'Hygiène et la Qualité des Aliments, 41, rue du 11 novembre 1918, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France.
Kerouanton
A
A
Brisabois
A
A
De Buyser
M L
ML
D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D011200:Poultry; D012756:Sheep; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D013552:Swine
D004269:DNA, Bacterial