Virulence-associated plasmids of Salmonella spp. isolated from animals in Korea

동물에서 분리된 Salmonella균의 병원성 관련 Plasmid에 관한 연구

This paper dealt with plasmid DNA profile in 98 Salmonella(S) isolated from pigs and cattle sources in Taegu, Gyeongbook and Gyeongnam during the period from 1984 to 1987. Also we were studied for restriction enzyme analysis of the plasmid DNA, and mouse infection, Sereny test and normal setum resistance test in guinea pig for S typhimurium and S enteritidis harbored or cured 60 megadalton(Md) plasmid and 36 Md plasmid, respectively. Of the 13 Salmonella isolated from cattle, 7 Salmonella harbored one or more plasmids and molecular sizes of the large plasmids were 60 Md for S typhimurium and 36 Md for S enteritidis. Of the 85 Salmonella isolated from pigs, 47 Salmonella were confirmed as being one or more plasmids, and all the S typimurium stains harbored 60 Md plasmid. In enzyme digestion with 8 types of restriction endonuclease for 60 Md plasmid DNA of S typhimurium, cleavage patterns were varied to enzymes, and the DNA was segmented into 4 to 15 fragments. In restriction enzyme analysis of 36 Md plasmid DNA obtained from four strains of S. enteritidis, the DNA showed the same cleavage patterns obtained with Eco RI, Hind III and Bam H I, and was segmented into 3 to 5 fragments. In virulence for mice by measuring the 50% lethal dose ($LD_{50}$), the $LD_{50}$ values obtained for 60 Md virulence-associated plasmid harbored strains of S typhimurium and 36 Md virulence-associated plasmid of S enteritidis were up to $10^4$-fold lower than the values obtained for the plasmid-cured strains of the same serotype. Only the plasmid harbored strains were resistant to the bactericidal activity of 90% guinea pig serum, and only they gave positive responses in sereny test. We suggested that their plasmid DNA might be associated with virulence for mice.