title: Development of a DNA microarray for enterococcal species, virulence, and antibiotic resistance gene determinations among isolates from poultry.
abstract: A DNA microarray (Enteroarray) was designed with probes targeting four species-specific taxonomic identifiers to discriminate among 18 different enterococcal species, while other probes were designed to identify 18 virulence factors and 174 antibiotic resistance genes. In total, 262 genes were utilized for rapid species identification of enterococcal isolates, while characterizing their virulence potential through the simultaneous identification of endogenous antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. Enterococcal isolates from broiler chicken farms were initially identified by using the API 20 Strep system, and the results were compared to those obtained with the taxonomic genes atpA, recA, pheS, and ddl represented on our microarray. Among the 171 isolates studied, five different enterococcal species were identified by using the API 20 Strep system: Enterococcus faecium, E. faecalis, E. durans, E. gallinarum, and E. avium. The Enteroarray detected the same species as API 20 Strep, as well as two more: E. casseliflavus and E. hirae. Species comparisons resulted in 15% (27 isolates) disagreement between the two methods among the five API 20 Strep identifiable species and 24% (42 isolates) disagreement when considering the seven Enteroarray identified species. The species specificity of key antibiotic and virulence genes identified by the Enteroarray were consistent with the literature adding further robustness to the redundant taxonomic probe data. Sequencing of the cpn60 gene further confirmed the complete accuracy of the microarray results. The new Enteroarray should prove to be a useful tool to accurately genotype strains of enterococci and assess their virulence potential.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, 6100 Royalmount Ave., Montreal, Quebec H4P 2R2, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Champagne
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Diarra
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rempel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Topp
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010453:Peptide Synthases; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011938:Rec A Recombinases; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C078802:AtpA protein, E coli; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D011938:Rec A Recombinases; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C019638:D-alanylalanine synthetase