Detection of antimicrobial resistance genes of pathogenic Salmonella from swine with DNA microarray

A glass-based microarray was developed to detect 11 antimicrobial resistance genes that confer resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and chloramphenicols. The target genes for microarray were generated from Salmonella isolates by PCR and confirmed by sequencing. The specificity of the microarray was tested using 11 positive DNA probes. The sensitivity was tested with tetA gene and Salmonella isolates. Using detection threshold of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) > or = 1.5 or median pixel intensity > or =1000, antimicrobial resistance genes carried by 30 Salmonella isolates were detected. Common genes included sul I(76.7%, 23/30), aph(3')-IIa (60%, 18/30), tetC (60%, 18/30), cat] (43.3%, 13/30), tetA (40%, 12/30) and aadA1 (36.7%, 11/30), and the results were confirmed to be correct by PCR.