Cloning and sequencing of the ompA gene of Enterobacter sakazakii and development of an ompA-targeted PCR for rapid detection of Enterobacter sakazakii in infant formula.

ABSTRACT: Enterobacter sakazakii is an emerging, infant formula-borne pathogen that causes severe meningitis, meningoencephalitis, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and infants, with a high fatality rate. Traditional detection methods take up to 7 days to identify E. sakazakii. The outer membrane protein A gene (ompA), along with its flanking sequences from E. sakazakii (ATCC 51329), was cloned in the pGEM-T Easy vector and sequenced. Comparison of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the ompA gene with other sequences available in the GenBank database revealed a high degree of homology with ompA genes of other gram-negative bacteria belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae. Based on regions of the ompA gene unique to E. sakazakii, two primers were synthesized to develop and

SUBMITTER: Mohan Nair MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1449048 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature