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Enrichment and Detection of Clostridium perfringens Toxinotypes in Retail Food Samples
Published on: October 18, 2019
Detection and toxin typing of Clostridium perfringens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples by PCR
Josephine Wu1, Wandi Zhang, Boxun Xie
1Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1122, New York, New York 10029, USA.
Abstract:
Since current microbiology methods are not suitable to detect Clostridium perfringens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples, we developed a PCR assay to detect toxin-encoding genes and the 16S rRNA gene of C. perfringens. We successfully detected and genotyped C. perfringens in tissue sections from two autopsy cases.
Insights
A new PCR assay can detect Clostridium perfringens in preserved tissue samples. This method successfully identified and genotyped the bacteria in autopsy cases, overcoming limitations of traditional microbiology.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Traditional microbiology techniques are insufficient for detecting Clostridium perfringens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.
- Accurate identification of Clostridium perfringens in FFPE samples is crucial for retrospective studies and understanding disease pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay for the detection and genotyping of Clostridium perfringens.
- To validate the assay's efficacy in identifying Clostridium perfringens within challenging FFPE tissue samples.
Main Methods:
- Development of a species-specific PCR assay targeting toxin-encoding genes and the 16S rRNA gene of Clostridium perfringens.
- Application of the PCR assay to DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections.
Main Results:
- The developed PCR assay successfully detected the presence of Clostridium perfringens in FFPE tissue samples.
- The assay enabled the genotyping of Clostridium perfringens, providing further discriminatory information.
- Successful detection and genotyping were confirmed in tissue sections from two distinct autopsy cases.
Conclusions:
- The novel PCR assay provides a reliable method for detecting Clostridium perfringens in FFPE tissues, overcoming previous limitations.
- This molecular approach facilitates accurate identification and characterization of Clostridium perfringens in archival pathological specimens.
