Comparison of polymerase chain reaction primer sets for amplification of rodent Pasteurellaceae

Abstract

Monitoring of rodents for Pasteurellaceae infection may be carried out by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We tested which of 17 rodent Pasteurellaceae strains were detected by three PCR primer sets. By phylogenetic analysis, 12 strains were assigned to the Rodent cluster and five strains to other clusters, namely the Somnus cluster, Pasteurella sensu stricto, Actinobacillus sensu stricto, the Mannheimia and Rossii cluster. A primer set developed to detect biotype Heyl [Pasteurella] pneumotropica produced amplicons from three strains and appeared specific for this taxon. A primer set developed to detect biotype Jawetz [P.] pneumotropica produced amplicons from the [P.] pneumotropica type strain and two other strains within the Rodent cluster. A primer set as described by Bootz and his co-workers (Bootz F, Kirschnek S, Nicklas W, Wyss SK, Homberger FR. Detection of Pasteurellaceae in rodents by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Lab Anim Sci 1998;48:542-6) for the detection of all Pasteurellaceae indeed detected all bacterial strains examined. Bootz's primer set should be used to monitor rodents for Pasteurellaceae infection by PCR as FELASA recommends the monitoring of rodents for all Pasteurellaceae taxa. Health monitoring reports should specify the primer set(s) used for PCR testing rodents for Pasteurellaceae infection.