Identification of Salmonella pullorum Genomic Sequences Using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization

Pullorum disease affecting poultry is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Pullorum and results in severe economic loss every year, especially in countries with a developing poultry industry. The pathogenesis of S. Pullorum is not yet well defined, as the specific virulence factors still need to be identified. Thus, to isolate specific DNA fragments belonging to S. Pullorum, this study used suppression subtractive hybridization. As such, the genome of the S. Pullorum C79-13 strain was subtracted from the genome of Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum 9 and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis CMCC(B) 50041, respectively, resulting in the identification of 20 subtracted fragments. A sequence homology analysis then revealed three types of fragment: phage sequences, plasmid sequences, and sequences with an unknown function. As a result, several important virulence-related genes encoding the IpaJ protein, colicin Y, tailspike protein, excisionase, and Rhs protein were identified that may play a role in the pathogenesis of S. Pullorum.