Molecular characterization of Pasteurella multocida isolates from rabbits

Forty isolates of Pesteurella multocida from healthy (17 isolates) and dise ased (23 isolates) rabbits were assayed for the presence of plasmids in see king to determine whether any correlation exists between the presence of pl asmids and health status, sensitivity to antimicrobial agents, capsular and somatic type, and the anatomic site of isolation. Six isolates were found harboring plasmids. A similar ladder pattern ranging from 18 to 3 megadalto n (Mda) were found in three isolates recovered from diseased rabbits. One b and of molecular weight 6.6 Mda was shared by four of five (4/5) isolates f rom the diseased rabbits. No correlation was found between the presence of the common plasmids and serotype, resistance to antimicrobial agents, and a natomic sites from which the bacteria were cultured. Random amplification p olymorphic DNA was applied to subtype all the isolates of P, multocida. Two single primers were tested for their abilities to generate individual fing erprints by using PCR. Primer 1 grouped the isolates into 7 profiles, and p rimer 2 grouped them into 15. Random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase c hain reaction (RAPD-PCR) results show the presence of a wide heterogeneity within P. multocida isolates. Therefore RAPD-PCR is an efficient technique to detect the DNA polymorphism and could be used to discriminate P. multoci da of rabbit Isolates together with serologic typing.