The Yersinia HPI is present in Serratia liquefaciens isolated from meat.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to screen the Enterobacteriaceae flora of meat for the presence of bacteria harbouring the Yersinia high-pathogenicity island (HPI).


RESULTS
Bacteria from 29 meat and 29 liver samples were isolated on violet-red bile glucose agar. A total of 197 isolates were screened for the presence of the irp2 gene, encoded within the HPI, by PCR. One isolate that was positive for irp2 gene was also positive for the fyuA, irp1, ybtP/ybtQ, ybtX/ybtS and int/asn tRNA genes by PCR. The presence of fyuA, irp1 and irp2 genes was confirmed by Southern hybridization.


CONCLUSIONS
The isolate was identified as Serratia liquefaciens by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and by ribotyping.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of a Serratia harbouring the Yersinia HPI. Serratia is a frequently occurring Enterobacteriaceae genus in chill-stored meat.
Olsson
C
C
Department of Food Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Olofsson
T
T
Ahrné
S
S
Molin
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002417:Cattle; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D044090:Serratia liquefaciens / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017262:Siderophores / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D015007:Yersinia / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D017262:Siderophores