title: Characterization of the ptfA gene of avian Pasteurella multocida strains by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Pasteurella multocida is the causative agent of fowl cholera in domesticated and wild birds. The disease outcome is affected by various host- and pathogen-specific determinants. Several putative virulence factors have been proposed to play a key role in this interaction, including the ptfA gene, the products of which assemble to form type 4 fimbriae on the bacterial surface. One way to understand more precisely how ptfA contributes to pathogenesis is to gather molecular features of this gene in circulating avian P. multocida strains. Therefore, molecular characterization of the ptfA gene of P. multocida strains isolated from domestic poultry was performed using the combination of nucleotide sequence analysis and a newly developed allele-specific polymerase chain reaction assay. Two major ptfA alleles were identified among 31 strains, representing various serogroups and somatic serotypes. It was noteworthy that allele specificity and case severity of a subset of strains correlated with the available gross pathology data. Therefore, the acquisition of comprehensive clinical and epidemiological data together with molecular characteristics of individual strains will help to design and implement adequate preventive and intervention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, PO Box 18, H-1581 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Boglárka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sellyei
authors.forename: Krisztián
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bányai
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Magyar
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016979:Pasteurella multocida / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*