利用基因组学和MALDI-TOF MS技术鉴定放线菌纲细菌的核糖体蛋白质标志物

【目的】基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF MS)法基于微生物的特征蛋白指纹图谱鉴定菌种,本研究利用基因组学和MALDI-TOFMS技术鉴定放线菌纲细菌的核糖体蛋白质标志物。【方法】从MALDI-TOF MS图谱数据库选取放线菌纲代表菌种,在基因组数据库检索目标菌种,获取目标菌株或其参比菌株的核糖体蛋白质序列,计算获得分子质量理论值,用于注释目标菌株MALDI-TOFMS指纹图谱中的核糖体蛋白质信号。【结果】从8目,24科,53属,114种,142株放线菌的MALDI-TOFMS图谱中总共注释出31种核糖体蛋白质。各菌株的指纹图谱中核糖体蛋白质信号数量差异显著。各种核糖体蛋白质信号的注释次数差异显著。总共15种核糖体蛋白质在超过半数图谱中得到注释,注释次数最高的是核糖体大亚基蛋白质L36。【结论】本研究找到了放线菌纲细菌MALDI-TOF MS图谱中常见的15种核糖体蛋白质信号,可为通过识别核糖体蛋白质的质谱特征峰鉴定放线菌的方法建立提供依据。     

基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱对阪崎肠杆菌的鉴定

目的 利用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF-MS)法对阪崎肠杆菌进行鉴定,建立一种高效检测阪崎肠杆菌的方法,并为该技术的推广使用及阪崎肠杆菌的进一步研究提供科学依据.方法 用MALDI-TOF-MS法检测38株野生阪崎肠杆菌、2株标准菌株和1株阴沟肠杆菌,结果与常规生化鉴定结果对比;同时对在不同培养基上培养的阪崎肠杆菌进行质谱分析比较,对比不同培养基对质谱结果是否有影响;对38株野生菌株质谱图进行聚类分析.结果 38株菌株鉴定结果均为阪崎肠杆菌,与生化鉴定结果一致,且质谱鉴定分值大多在2.0以上.通过MALDI-TOF-MS鉴定方法可以很明显地将阴沟肠杆菌与阪崎肠杆菌两种菌分开.4种培养基对MALDI-TOF-MS鉴定结果的影响不是很明显,TSA比较适合作为阪崎肠杆菌MALDI-TOF-MS鉴定的培养基.通过质谱图谱和离子峰值比较得出,所有菌株在5745 m/z附近均出现高的离子峰,在2871、4740、8288、6260和9488 m/z附近出现离子峰的实验菌株达95％以上;在差异水平在0.5时,MALDI-TOF-MS的聚类分析结果可将所有实验菌株分成5个类型,结合菌株对应的来源和种类分析表明本研究所用菌株与来源和种类之间并无明显关系.结论 MALDI-TOF-MS方法具有准确且精确鉴定阪崎肠杆菌的能力;离子峰5745m/z具有作为阪崎肠杆菌的标记性离子峰的可能;差异水平为0.5进行MALDI-TOF-MS聚类分析,未发现5个类型与来源等具有一定关系,需要进一步研究.     

乳杆菌阴道分离株16S rDNA鉴定及优势菌株产H_2O_2和自凝集能力分析

目的从阴道分泌物标本分离鉴定乳杆菌,分析与健康相关优势菌种产过氧化氢(H2O2)和自凝集能力,揭示菌株特异性的潜在益生特性。方法利用MRS固体培养基从41例阴道分泌物标本中分离单菌落,纯培养后提取细菌基因组DNA,PCR扩增16S rDNA序列,依据序列一致性确定细菌种属。利用TMB-HRP-MRS培养基测定优势乳杆菌菌株产H2O2能力,并测定其自凝集能力。结果获得155个细菌分离株,分属乳杆菌属104株(67.1%)、肠球菌属21株(13.5%)、链球菌属28株(18.1%)、葡萄球菌属1株(0.6%)和双歧杆菌属1株(0.6%)。各菌属在无或有妇科临床症状患者标本中的构成比例差异有统计学意义(χ2=7.4918,P=0.0236),乳杆菌在前者检出率为83.3%,显著高于其在后者47.1%的检出率(χ2=4.4879,P=0.0341)。乳杆菌中卷曲乳杆菌分离株所占比例最高(67.3%,70/104)。来自不同标本的22株卷曲乳杆菌中77.3%菌株产H2O2,且这些菌株具有强弱不同的自凝集能力(27.5%~97.3%)。结论乳杆菌属特别是卷曲乳杆菌种是健康阴道环境中优势菌属,其产H2O2和自凝集能力存在明显菌株特异性,有2株卷曲乳杆菌此两特性均很强可供进一步研发。     

一株恒河猴克罗诺杆菌（阪崎肠杆菌）的分离鉴定及序列分析

目的对恒河猴粪便中分离到的一株克罗诺杆菌进行鉴定,为实验恒河猴疾病检测、鉴别诊断和治疗提供参考依据j方法通过细菌培养特性、菌落形态观察及微生物鉴定系统（ID32E）生化试验进行菌落鉴定;并进行抗生素敏感试验和小白鼠致病性试验;用PCR方法扩增分离菌株的23SrRNA基因并测序,并将其与GenBank上参考菌株23SrRNA基因核苷酸序列进行同源性分析。结果经细菌形态学和生化鉴定该细菌为克罗诺杆菌,23SrRNA基因序列与GenBank中分离自婴幼儿配方奶粉中的阪崎克罗诺杆菌（CP004091）同源性为98％。药敏试验表明该菌对甲硝哒唑耐药,对其他15种抗生素敏感。致病性试验证明该分离菌株对小白鼠有强致病性。结论该株从恒河猴中分离到的克罗诺杆菌具有较强的致病性,对实验恒河猴饲养及相关研究人员有潜在的危害,因此,在恒河猴饲养及研究过程中应引起重视。头孢、庆大霉素和诺氟沙星等药物可作为治疗恒河猴克罗诺杆菌感染的临床用药。     

广西药用野生稻内生细菌多样性及促生作用

以广西药用野生稻为材料,采用两种选择性的无氮培养基进行内生细菌的分离,应用IS-PCR指纹图谱方法对所分离到的内生细菌进行聚类分析。选取每个类群的代表菌株进行16S rRNA基因序列测定及生理生化鉴定,通过菌株接种水稻对所分离的内生固氮菌进行促生作用的分析。结果表明,从药用野生稻中分离纯化69株内生细菌,其中有26株内生固氮菌,其固氮酶活性在0.60~46.71μmol C2H4·m L-1·h-1。通过IS-PCR指纹图谱分析将所有供试菌株聚为11个类群及1个单菌株。16S rRNA基因序列分析及生理生化鉴定表明,所分离的内生固氮菌属于艾德昂菌属(Ideonella spp.)、阿氏肠杆菌(Enterobacter asburiae)及固氮螺菌(Azospirillum largimobile),植物内生细菌有短小芽孢杆菌(Bacillus pumilus)、蜡样芽胞杆菌(Bacillus cereus)、大田根瘤菌(Rhizobium daejeonense)、沙芬西芽孢杆菌(Bacillus safensis)、纺锤形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌(Lysinibacillus fusiformis)、过氧微杆菌(Microbacterium paraoxydans)、类芽孢杆菌(Paenibacillus barcinonensis)及粘质沙雷菌(Serratia marcescens)等,表明广西药用野生稻内生细菌具有多样性。各内生细菌的代表菌株均具有溶磷解钾能力,其中yy34具有很强的溶磷能力,yy19、yy26及yy29具有较强的解钾能力。此外,yy05、yy16、yy19、yy25、yy29、yy34及yy49共7株菌能分泌生长素。将各内生固氮菌的代表菌株接种水稻后对水稻有着明显的促生作用,其中叶长增加了23.0%~45.2%,根长增加了19.8%~36.2%,分蘖数增加了59.9%~119.8%,全株鲜重增加了101.4%~257.0%,全株干重增加了68.4%~101.7%,根重增加了122.2%~188.9%。     

黑粉虫与黄粉虫幼虫肠道细菌的比较

在黑粉虫和黄粉虫肠道中分别分离获得5株细菌,对其菌体形态、培养性状、染色反应、生理生化反应等进行了系统研究。鉴定结果表明,黑粉虫的5个细菌菌株分别属于金杆菌属(Aureobacterium)、李斯特氏菌属(Listeria)、微杆菌属(M i-crobacterium)、莫拉氏菌属(M oraxella)、短小杆菌属(Curtobacterium);黄粉虫的5个细菌菌株分别属于金杆菌属(Aureobacte-rium)、球形芽孢杆菌(Bacillus sphaericus)、微杆菌属(M icrobacterium)、巨大芽孢杆菌(B.m egaterium)、短小杆菌属(Curtobac-terium)。金杆菌属(Aureobacterium)、微杆菌属(M icrobacterium)和短小杆菌属(Curtobacterium)均在2种昆虫肠道中出现。     

青海可可西里嗜碱芽胞杆菌资源调查

【目的】了解可可西里嗜碱芽胞杆菌资源多样性及产酶多样性,为芽胞杆菌功能资源挖掘和菌剂开发提供基础。【方法】采用Horikoshi I培养基,通过可培养法分离青海可可西里土壤中的嗜碱芽胞杆菌,利用16S r RNA基因序列初步鉴定分离获得的芽胞杆菌。采用透明圈法分析分离菌株的产蛋白酶、纤维素酶及木聚糖酶活性。【结果】从青海可可西里土壤中共分离获得66株嗜碱芽胞杆菌,根据16S r RNA基因序列相似性分析,发现它们隶属于6个属22个种,分别为芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus)、纤细芽胞杆菌属(Gracilibacillus)、喜盐芽胞杆菌属(Halobacillus)、咸海鲜芽胞杆菌属(Jeotgalibacillus)、类芽胞杆菌属(Paenibacillus)和嗜冷芽胞杆菌属(Psychrobacillus),其中以芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus)为优势属。2株嗜碱芽胞杆菌与它们最近匹配模式菌株的16S r RNA基因序列相似性为97.00%和98.65%,为潜在新种。三种酶活检测结果表明产酶菌株约占总分离菌株的95.00%,其中55株具有产蛋白酶活性,27株具有产纤维素酶活性,8株能够产木聚糖酶。【结论】青海可可西里蕴藏着较丰富的嗜碱芽胞杆菌资源及丰富的产酶资源,为后续嗜碱芽胞杆菌的挖掘提供理论基础。     

食品污染克罗诺杆菌(阪崎肠杆菌)的分离及鉴定

[目的]对300份奶粉样品和50份非奶粉类食品中克罗诺杆菌的污染情况做定量检测,并对分离得到的克罗诺杆菌进行鉴定.[方法]通过分子方法和9管法对奶粉和其他食品中克罗诺杆菌的污染情况做定量检测;通过吲哚产生、丙二酸盐利用、卫矛醇、肌醇、松三糖和松二糖发酵产酸等六种生化试验对分离株进行鉴定;同时对分离株的16S rRNA基因序列进行同源性分析,通过N-J(Neighbour-Joining)法构建系统发育树.[结果]定量检测结果表明,350份样品中有23份样品分离出克罗诺杆菌,共分离到24株克罗诺杆菌,检出率为6.6％;23份受污染样品中有4个样品的克罗诺杆菌大于100 MPN/100g;24株克罗诺杆菌被鉴定到种或亚种,其中19株为阪崎克罗诺杆菌(Cronobacter sakazakii);2株为丙二酸盐克罗诺杆菌(C.malonaticus);2株为都柏林克罗诺杆菌奶粉亚种(C.dublinensis subsp.lactaridi);1株为莫金斯克罗诺杆菌(C.muytjensii).[结论]分子方法和9管法联用适合污染率低而定量检测要求高的克罗诺杆菌的奶粉调查;采用生化和分子生物学方法将24株分离株鉴定到种或亚种,其中阪崎克罗诺杆菌为优势种;奶粉中克罗诺杆菌的污染问题对婴幼儿安全存在隐患,应引起消费者和有关部门的重视.     

一株ganghwense发光杆菌的分类鉴定及相关特性的研究

对从海鲜食品(虾蛄)中分离到的1株细菌"M-1"进行系统分类鉴定.采用常规方法[1]进行分离培养,以形态学特征、培养特性、生理生化特征及分子生物学等方法对其进行分类鉴定.该菌株为革兰阴性杆状细菌,细菌宽度＞1 μm;16S rDNA序列测定与photobacterium ganghwense相似为99%(1 455/1 467),生理生化特征与发光杆菌属相近.菌株"M-1"是1株发光杆菌.     

曾候乙墓穴木椁微生物的分离与鉴定

从曾侯乙墓中椁室、东椁室、西椁室和北椁室分别取样,经平板划线培养,分离,纯化共获得典型的菌株16株。将16株分别涂片镜检,生理生化分析鉴定,结果证明芽孢杆菌属11株,其中苏云金变种1株,地衣芽孢杆菌1株,巨大芽孢杆菌1株,球形芽孢杆菌5株,蜡状芽孢杆菌2株,多粘芽孢杆菌1株。其余菌株微杆菌属4株,黄色杆菌属黄杆菌1株。     

The phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Korean isolates of Cronobacter spp. (Enterobacter sakazakii)

This study was conducted to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Korean isolates of Cronobacter spp. (Enterobacter sakazakii). A total of 43 Cronobacter spp., including 5 clinical isolates, 34 food isolates, 2 environmental isolates, and 2 reference strains (C. sakazakii ATCC 29004 and C. muytjensii ATCC51329) were used in this study. Korean isolates of Cronobacter spp. were divided into 11 biogroups according to their biochemical profiles and 3 genomic groups based on the analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences. Biogroups 1 and 2 contained the majority of isolates (n=26), most of which were contained in 16S rRNA cluster 1 (n=34). Korean isolates of Cronobacter spp. showed diverse biochemical profiles. Biogroup 1 contained C. sakazakii GIHE (Gyeonggido Research Institute of Health and Environment) 1 and 2, which were isolated from babies that exhibited symptoms of Cronobacter spp. infection such as gastroenteritis, sepsis, and meningitis. Our finding revealed that Biogroup 1, C. sakazakii, is more prevalent and may be a more pathogenic biogroup than other biogroups, but the pathogenic biogroup was not represented clearly among the 11 biogroups tested in this study. Thus, all biogroups of Cronobacter spp. were recognized as pathogenic bacteria, and the absence of Cronobacter spp. in infant foods should be constantly regulated to prevent food poisoning and infection caused by Cronobacter spp.     

Comprehensive approaches to molecular biomarker discovery for detection and identification of Cronobacter spp. (Enterobacter sakazakii) and Salmonella spp

Cronobacter spp. (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) and Salmonella spp. are increasingly implicated internationally as important microbiological contaminants in low-moisture food products, including powdered infant formula. Estimates indicate that 40 to 80% of infants infected with Cronobacter sakazakii and/or Salmonella in the United States may not survive the illness. A systematic approach, combining literature-based data mining, comparative genome analysis, and the direct sequencing of PCR products of specific biomarker genes, was used to construct an initial collection of genes to be targeted. These targeted genes, particularly genes encoding virulence factors and genes responsible for unique phenotypes, have the potential to function as biomarker genes for the identification and differentiation of Cronobacter spp. and Salmonella from other food-borne pathogens in low-moisture food products. In this paper, a total of 58 unique Salmonella gene clusters and 126 unique potential Cronobacter biomarkers and putative virulence factors were identified. A chitinase gene, a well-studied virulence factor in fungi, plants, and bacteria, was used to confirm this approach. We found that the chitinase gene has very low sequence variability and/or polymorphism among Cronobacter, Citrobacter, and Salmonella, while differing significantly in other food-borne pathogens, either by sequence blasting or experimental testing, including PCR amplification and direct sequencing. This computational analysis for Cronobacter and Salmonella biomarker identification and the preliminary laboratory studies are only a starting point; thus, PCR and array-based biomarker verification studies of these and other food-borne pathogens are currently being conducted.     

Molecular characterization of Cronobacter lipopolysaccharide O-antigen gene clusters and development of serotype-specific PCR assays

Cronobacter (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) is a recently defined genus consisting of six species, C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, C. dublinensis, C. muytjensii, C. turicensis, and Cronobacter genomospecies 1. In this study, MboII restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of O-antigen gene clusters, located between galF and gnd, were used to identify serotypes in Cronobacter spp. Seven O-antigen RFLP clusters were generated, including three C. sakazakii clusters, previously identified as serotypes O1, O2, and O3. The O-antigen regions of six strains with unique RFLP patterns, including two C. sakazakii strains, two C. malonaticus strains, one C. turicensis strain, and one C. muytjensii strain, revealed three O-antigen gene clusters shared among Cronobacter species. PCR assays were developed, targeting the wzx O-antigen polymerase gene, and used to screen 231 Cronobacter strains to determine the frequency of these newly identified serotypes.     

Virulence traits in Cronobacter species isolated from different sources

Cronobacter spp. ( Enterobacter sakazakii ) includes gram-negative opportunistic foodborne pathogens known as rare but important causes of life-threatening neonatal infections. However, the pathogenic mechanism is not yet clear. In this study, 43 isolates of Cronobacter, from human and nonhuman sources, were analyzed. A total of four clusters were identified and 32 DNA pulsotypes were observed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. In addition, 86% of the Cronobacter isolates were able to adhere to HEp-2 cells and 35% were invasive, Cronobacter sakazakii isolates being the most efficient. Twenty-six percent of Cronobacter isolates were able to form biofilms, mainly those from nonhuman sources, such as Cronobacter dublinensis and Cronobacter malonaticus . Three putative virulence genes (siderophore-interacting protein (sip), type III hemolysin (hly), and plasminogen activator (cpa)) were identified by bioinformatic analysis and then detected by PCR. The sip gene was the most frequently detected (60%; 26/43), followed by the hly gene (37%; 16/43) and the cpa gene (28%; 12/43). The three genes were identified primarily in C. sakazakii. Our data show that Cronobacter species harbor different virulence traits.     

Identification and characterization of cronobacter iron acquisition systems

Cronobacter spp. are emerging pathogens that cause severe infantile meningitis, septicemia, or necrotizing enterocolitis. Contaminated powdered infant formula has been implicated as the source of Cronobacter spp. in most cases, but questions still remain regarding the natural habitat and virulence potential for each strain. The iron acquisition systems in 231 Cronobacter strains isolated from different sources were identified and characterized. All Cronobacter spp. have both the Feo and Efe systems for acquisition of ferrous iron, and all plasmid-harboring strains (98%) have the aerobactin-like siderophore, cronobactin, for transport of ferric iron. All Cronobacter spp. have the genes encoding an enterobactin-like siderophore, although it was not functional under the conditions tested. Furthermore, all Cronobacter spp. have genes encoding five receptors for heterologous siderophores. A ferric dicitrate transport system (fec system) is encoded specifically by a subset of Cronobacter sakazakii and C. malonaticus strains, of which a high percentage were isolated from clinical samples. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the fec system is most closely related to orthologous genes present in human-pathogenic bacterial strains. Moreover, all strains of C. dublinensis and C. muytjensii encode two receptors, FcuA and Fct, for heterologous siderophores produced by plant pathogens. Identification of putative Fur boxes and expression of the genes under iron-depleted conditions revealed which genes and operons are components of the Fur regulon. Taken together, these results support the proposition that C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus may be more associated with the human host and C. dublinensis and C. muytjensii with plants.     

Surveillance and characterisation of Cronobacter spp. in Czech retail food and environmental samples

Cronobacter spp. (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) are emerging, opportunistic pathogens that are linked with food-borne infections in neonates and infants. In the present study, 291 samples of food, 36 samples from a dairy farm and 140 samples of dust from vacuum cleaners were examined for the presence of Cronobacter spp. using chromogenic media and biochemical tests. Altogether, 72 Cronobacter spp. strains were isolated in accordance with the reference standard ?SN P ISO/TS 22964 (2006). No Cronobacter spp. strains were detected in 10 samples of infant milk formula or in samples from a dairy farm. Twelve out of 20 positive food samples were dry products. The incidence of Cronobacter spp. in instant and powdered products and spices (12 positive isolates out of 82 samples) was significantly higher than that in other foods (P?=?0.002), but lower than that in samples of dust (52 isolates; P?<?0.001). The incidence of Cronobacter spp. in dust from restaurants, bars and hotels (13 positive isolates in 20 samples) was significantly higher than that in dust from households (P?=?0.010). The polymerase chain reaction assay for the species-specific detection of the rpoB gene was performed in 49 isolates. Thirty-four Cronobacter spp. isolates were identified as Cronobacter sakazakii, nine isolates as Cronobacter malonaticus and one isolate as Cronobacter turicensis.     

ERIC-PCR技术在李斯特氏菌种、菌株鉴定中的应用

应用肠杆菌基因间重复一致序列聚合酶链反应技术（ERIC-PCR）对李斯特氏菌基因组DNA进行分析,结果显示,李斯特氏菌种间DNA指纹图谱带型差异较大;单核细胞增生性李斯特氏菌株间及相同血清型不同来源的菌株,其DNA指纹图谱带型也有明显差异。在单核细胞增生性李斯特氏菌各株的DNA指纹图谱中发现1600bp的种专一性扩增带。结果表明,ERIC-PCR技术可用于李斯特氏菌种、菌株的鉴定及进一步分型研究。 Abstract:Enterobacteia repetitive intergenic consensus sequences-based PCR(ERIC-PCR) was used to generate DNA fingerprints for Listeria spp.We got the specific profiles with ERIC-PCR technique that enables to identify Listeria species and the L.monocytogenes strains of different sterotype,and the same sterotype of L.monocytogenes from different sources also could be identified.Moreover,the species-spcific 1600bp DNA fragment was obtained from the fingerprint of L.monocytogenes.The study indicates that ERIC-PCR technique can be used in the identification of Listeria species and strains and its further typing,which is simple and quickly.     

Identifying new PCR targets for pathogenic bacteria using top-down LC/MS protein discovery.

We have investigated the use of a top-down liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric (LC/MS) approach for the identification of specific protein biomarkers useful for differentiation of closely related strains of bacteria. The sequence information derived from the protein biomarker was then used to develop specific polymerase chain reaction primers useful for rapid identification of the strains. Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) strains were used for this evaluation. The expressed protein profiles of two closely related serotype 0157:H7 strains, the predominant strain implicated in illness worldwide, and the nonpathogenic E. coli K-12 strain were compared with each other in an attempt to identify new protein markers that could be used to distinguish the 0157:H7 strains from each other and from the E. coli K-12 strain. Sequencing of a single protein unique to one of the 0157:H7 strains identified it as a cytolethal distending toxin, a potential virulence marker. The protein sequence information enabled the derivation of genetic sequence information for this toxin, thus allowing the development of specific polymerase chain reaction primers for its detection. In addition, the top-down LC/MS technique was able to identify other unique biomarkers and differentiate nearly identical 0157:H7 strains, which exhibited identical phenotypic, serologic, and genetic traits. The results of these studies demonstrate that this approach can be expanded to other serotypes of interest and provide a rational approach to identifying new molecular targets for detection.     

Occurrence of Cronobacter spp. in retail foods

Aims: To study the occurrence of Cronobacter spp. in foods and to investigate the phenotypic properties of the strains isolated. Methods and Results: A total of 53 strains of Cronobacter spp. isolated from 399 food samples were identified using conventional biochemical methods and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. Foods of plant origin were the most frequently contaminated samples. No Cronobacter spp. were found in infant milk formula, wheat‐based infant food, pasteurized and raw cow milk, mincemeat, chicken, chickpea and potato dumpling powder. The individual species were identified as Cronobacter sakazakii (54·7%), Cronobacter malonaticus (28·4%), Cronobacter dublinensis (7·5%), Cronobacter muytjensii (7·5%) and Cronobacter turicensis (1·9%). Cronobacter sakazakii and C. malonaticus belong to biotype 1, 2, 2a, 3, 4 and 5, 5a, respectively. Cronobacter dublinensis strains were subdivided into biotypes 6 and 12. All strains were resistant to erythromycin and two of them were resistant to both erythromycin and tetracycline. Conclusions: Cronobacter spp. were isolated from various food samples pre‐eminently of plant origin and dried food ingredients. Significance and Impact of the Study: These findings will increase and detail our knowledge of the presence and diversity of Cronobacter spp. in foods.     

Biochemical and molecular characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cronobacter</Emphasis> spp<Emphasis Type="Italic">.</Emphasis> (formerly <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterobacter sakazakii</Emphasis>) isolated from foods

The aim of this study was to identify and characterize Cronobacter spp. isolated from a range of foods. A total of 71 Cronobacter strains were isolated from 602 foods in our laboratory. The highest contamination was observed in foods of plant origin, e.g. spices, teas, chocolate, nuts, pastries and vegetables. On the basis of genus and species identification performed using genus-specific PCR, 16S rRNA sequencing and AFLP genotyping, most of the strains belonged to Cronobacter sakazakii. Biochemical profiling by the tests included in API 20E, complemented with relevant additional tests, classified the strains into 13 biogroups. AFLP genotyping facilitated discrimination of six main groups at the 70% similarity level and strain grouping correlated clearly with species identification. Our results indicate that molecular typing by AFLP may be applied as a useful tool not only for direct comparison of Cronobacter isolates, providing traceability, but also for the reliable species classification. Moreover, tracing of these bacteria in a wider variety of foods should be important to enhance the knowledge of their transmission.