title: Evaluation of virulence genes in Yersinia enterocolitica strains using SYBR Green real-time PCR.
abstract: Yersinia enterocolitica comprises six biotypes 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The virulence of the strains belonging to biotypes 1B and 2-5 depends on the presence of both chromosomal and plasmid-borne genes. Strains belonging to biotype 1A do not carry the virulence plasmid pYV. However, they carry other virulence genes, such as ystB and hreP. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of yadA, virF, inv, ystA, ystB, myfA, hreP and ymoA virulence genes in Y. enterocolitica strains in order to select the target genes that could be used for the development of a probe-specific real-time PCR to determine the presence of Y. enterocolitica in food samples. A total of 161 Y. enterocolitica strains isolated in eight countries and grouped into biotypes 1A, 2 (serotypes O3, O5 and O9), 3 (serotypes O3 and O9) and 4 (serotype O3) were examined for virulence genes. The most common virulence-associated gene in pathogenic Y. enterocolitica proved to be ystA, which can therefore be considered the best target gene to be amplified in order to evaluate the presence of pathogenic biotypes. By contrast, to identify Y. enterocolitica 1A strains, ystB, which codes for the enterotoxin YstB, can be proposed. This has been found in all non-pathogenic biotypes studied, but never in pathogenic biotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Francesca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Peruzy
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murru
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Microbiology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, 80055 Portici, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Giannina
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Perugini
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Microbiology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, 80055 Portici, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capuano
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299-00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delibato
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaelina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mercogliano
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korkeala
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Microbiology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, 80055 Portici, NA, Italy. Electronic address: yolande.proroga@cert.izsmportici.it.
authors.forename: Yolande Therese Rose
authors.initials: YTR
authors.lastname: Proroga
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D003959:Diamines; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005516:Food Microbiology / Q000379:methods; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011804:Quinolines; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D003959:Diamines; D004768:Enterotoxins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011804:Quinolines; C048669:heat-stable enterotoxin (Yersinia); C098022:SYBR Green I
keywords: Sybr green RT-PCR; Y. enterocolitica; ystA gene; ystB gene