scholarly journals Toward an International Standard for PCR-Based Detection of Food-Borne Thermotolerant Campylobacters: Assay Development and Analytical Validation

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 5664-5669 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.S. Lübeck ◽  
P. Wolffs ◽  
S. L. W. On ◽  
P. Ahrens ◽  
P. Rådström ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT As part of a European research project (FOOD-PCR), we developed a standardized and robust PCR detection assay specific for the three most frequently reported food-borne pathogenic Campylobacter species, C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari. Fifteen published and unpublished PCR primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene were tested in all possible pairwise combinations, as well as two published primers targeting the 23S rRNA gene. A panel of 150 strains including target and nontarget strains was used in an in-house validation. Only one primer pair, OT1559 plus 18-1, was found to be selective. The inclusivity and exclusivity were 100 and 97%, respectively. In an attempt to find a thermostable DNA polymerase more resistant than Taq to PCR inhibitors present in chicken samples, three DNA polymerases were evaluated. The DNA polymerase Tth was not inhibited at a concentration of 2% (vol/vol) chicken carcass rinse, unlike both Taq DNA polymerase and DyNAzyme. Based on these results, Tth was selected as the most suitable enzyme for the assay. The standardized PCR test described shows potential for use in large-scale screening programs for food-borne Campylobacter species under the assay conditions specified.

2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 4305-4309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Whitby ◽  
Karen B. Carter ◽  
Jane L. Burns ◽  
James A. Royall ◽  
John J. LiPuma ◽  
...  

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has recently emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in immunocompromised patients, in transplant recipients, and in persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). While this organism is nonpathogenic in healthy individuals, it is increasingly associated with morbidity and mortality in susceptible populations. Recent studies have indicated that for approximately 10% of CF patients with moderate lung disease, S. maltophiliacan be cultured from respiratory tract secretions. Identification ofS. maltophilia can be problematic, and analysis of isolates from the Burkholderia cepacia Research Laboratory and Repository showed that several isolates presumptively identified asB. cepacia by clinical microbiology laboratories were in fact S. maltophilia. To overcome the problems associated with definitive identification, we developed species-specific PCR (SS-PCR) primers, designated SM1 and SM4, directed to the 23S rRNA gene, and tested their utility to accurately identify S. maltophilia directly from sputum. The SS-PCR was developed and tested against a panel of 112 S. maltophilia isolates collected from diverse geographic locations. To test for specificity, 43 isolates from 17 different species were analyzed. PCR with the SM1-SM4 primer pair and isolated genomic DNA as a template resulted in amplification of a band from all S. maltophilia isolates and was uniformly negative for all other species tested, yielding a sensitivity and a specificity of 100% for the SS-PCR. The utility of the SS-PCR to directly identify S. maltophilia in sputum was examined. Thirteen expectorated sputum samples from CF patients were analyzed by SS-PCR. Three samples were PCR positive, in complete concordance with the conventional laboratory culture. Thus, we have developed an SS-PCR protocol that can rapidly and accurately identifyS. maltophilia isolates and which can be used for the direct detection of this organism in CF patient sputum.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 2221-2225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana E. Hunt ◽  
Vanja Klepac-Ceraj ◽  
Silvia G. Acinas ◽  
Clement Gautier ◽  
Stefan Bertilsson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The availability of a diverse set of 23S rRNA gene sequences enabled evaluation of the specificity of 39 previously published and 4 newly designed primers specific for bacteria. An extensive clone library constructed using an optimized primer pair resulted in similar gene richness but slightly differing coverage of some phylogenetic groups, compared to a 16S rRNA gene library from the same environmental sample.


1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 461-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon L. J. Stubbs ◽  
Jon S. Brazier ◽  
Gael L. O’Neill ◽  
Brian I. Duerden

A reference library of types of Clostridium difficilehas been constructed by PCR ribotyping isolates (n = 2,030) from environmental (n = 89), hospital (n = 1,386), community practitioner (n = 395), veterinary (n = 27), and reference (n = 133) sources. The library consists of 116 distinct types identified on the basis of differences in profiles generated with PCR primers designed to amplify the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer region. Isolates from 55% of infections in hospitals in the United Kingdom belonged to one ribotype (type 1), but this type was responsible for only 7.5% of community infections.


2007 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 2314-2319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estelle Jumas-Bilak ◽  
Jean-Philippe Carlier ◽  
Hélène Jean-Pierre ◽  
Francine Mory ◽  
Corinne Teyssier ◽  
...  

Eleven strains of a hitherto unknown, Gram-negative, anaerobic coccus were recovered from various human clinical samples of patients hospitalized in two geographically distant French hospitals. These strains displayed the morphology and growth characteristics of those related to the genus Acidaminococcus. The clinical isolates shared at least 99.9 and 99.7 % of their nucleotide positions in the 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequences, respectively. They displayed 95.6 and 88.9 % 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively, with Acidaminococcus fermentans. The 16S rRNA-based phylogeny revealed that all the clinical isolates grouped in a statistically well supported cluster separate from A. fermentans. Enzymic activity profiles as well as metabolic end product patterns, including propionic acid production, differentiated the novel bacteria from A. fermentans. Finally, phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, including large-scale chromosome structure and DNA G+C content, supported the proposal of a novel species of the genus Acidaminococcus, for which the name Acidaminococcus intestini sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ADV 255.99T (=AIP 283.01T=CIP 108586T=CCUG 50930T).


Author(s):  
J G E Laumen ◽  
S S Manoharan-Basil ◽  
E Verhoeven ◽  
S Abdellati ◽  
I De Baetselier ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prevalence of azithromycin resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is increasing in numerous populations worldwide. Objectives To characterize the genetic pathways leading to high-level azithromycin resistance. Methods A customized morbidostat was used to subject two N. gonorrhoeae reference strains (WHO-F and WHO-X) to dynamically sustained azithromycin pressure. We tracked stepwise evolution of resistance by whole genome sequencing. Results Within 26 days, all cultures evolved high-level azithromycin resistance. Typically, the first step towards resistance was found in transitory mutations in genes rplD, rplV and rpmH (encoding the ribosomal proteins L4, L22 and L34 respectively), followed by mutations in the MtrCDE-encoded efflux pump and the 23S rRNA gene. Low- to high-level resistance was associated with mutations in the ribosomal proteins and MtrCDE efflux pump. However, high-level resistance was consistently associated with mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA, mainly the well-known A2059G and C2611T mutations, but also at position A2058G. Conclusions This study enabled us to track previously reported mutations and identify novel mutations in ribosomal proteins (L4, L22 and L34) that may play a role in the genesis of azithromycin resistance in N. gonorrhoeae.


Author(s):  
Konrad Egli ◽  
Anna Roditscheff ◽  
Ursula Flückiger ◽  
Martin Risch ◽  
Lorenz Risch ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to ceftriaxone is unusual in Switzerland. The underlying genotype responsible for resistance is suspected to be novel. Generally, resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) involves a comprehensive set of genes with many different mutations leading to resistance to different β-lactams and fluoroquinolones. Case presentation A patient had a positive result from specific PCR for Ng. We routinely culture all clinical specimens with a positive NG-PCR. In this particular case, we isolated a strain with resistance to ceftriaxone in Switzerland. A total of seven different genes (penA, ponA, porinB, mtr, gyrA, parC, 23S rRNA gene) in this strain were partially sequenced for comparison with phenotypic susceptibility testing. Interestingly, two different mutations in the porinB gene were observed, and data on this gene are limited. Information on the identified allele type of the penA gene is very limited as well. Three different mutations of parC and gyrA that correlate with ciprofloxacin resistance were found. The combination of ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin resistance makes an appropriate treatment difficult to obtain due to multidrug resistance. Conclusion The combined results for all genes show the appearance of new mutations in central Europe either due to worldwide spread or the emergence of new genetic combinations of mutations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bai Wei ◽  
Min Kang

We investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying macrolide resistance in 38 strains ofCampylobacterisolated from poultry. Twenty-seven strains were resistant to azithromycin and erythromycin, five showed intermediate azithromycin resistance and erythromycin susceptibility, and six showed azithromycin resistance and erythromycin susceptibility. FourCampylobacter jejuniand sixCampylobacter colistrains had azithromycin MICs which were 8–16 and 2–8-fold greater than those of erythromycin, respectively. The A2075G mutation in the 23S rRNA gene was detected in 11 resistant strains with MICs ranging from 64 to ≥ 512μg/mL. Mutations including V137A, V137S, and a six-amino acid insertion (114-VAKKAP-115) in ribosomal protein L22 were detected in theC. jejunistrains. Erythromycin ribosome methylase B-erm(B) was not detected in any strain. All strains except three showed increased susceptibility to erythromycin with twofold to 256-fold MIC change in the presence of phenylalanine arginine ß-naphthylamide (PAßN); the effects of PAßN on azithromycin MICs were limited in comparison to those on erythromycin MICs, and 13 strains showed no azithromycin MIC change in the presence of PAßN. Differences between azithromycin and erythromycin resistance and macrolide resistance phenotypes and genotypes were observed even in highly resistant strains. Further studies are required to better understand macrolide resistance inCampylobacter.


2013 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 1451-1455 ◽  
Author(s):  
KINGA WIECZOREK ◽  
IWONA KANIA ◽  
JACEK OSEK

The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter in poultry carcasses at slaughter in Poland. For the isolated strains, resistance to selected antibiotics and the associated genetic determinants were identified. A total of 498 Campylobacter isolates were obtained from 802 poultry samples during the 2-year study period. Strains were identified to species with the PCR method; 53.6% of the strains were Campylobacter jejuni and 46.4% were Campylobacter coli. A high percentage of the tested Campylobacter strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid (74.1 and 73.5%, respectively) followed by tetracycline (47.4%) and streptomycin (20.5%). Only one C. jejuni and two C. coli isolates were resistant to gentamicin. Seventy-nine (15.9%) of the 498 strains were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics examined. Higher levels of resistance, irrespective of the antimicrobial agent tested, were found within the C. coli group. Almost all strains resistant to quinolones (99.5%) and to tetracycline (99.6%) carried the Thr-86-to-Ile mutation in the gyrA gene and possessed the tet(O) marker, respectively. All isolates resistant to erythromycin had the A2075G mutation in the 23S rRNA gene. These results reveal that poultry carcasses in Poland are a reservoir of potentially pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter strains for humans, which may pose a public health risk.


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