Plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus associated with live and processed poultry

A series of 23 strains of Staphylococcus aureus originally isolated from processed poultry was screened for the presence of plasmids. Plasmids were more common in strains of Staph. aureus characteristically associated with live poultry than with strains endemic in poultry plants and strains of human origin. Two plasmids with sizes of 1.65 and 18.2 kilobase pairs (kBp) were present in three strains considered typical of Staph. aureus forma specialis 'altilis' and two plasmids with sizes of 1.65 and 17 kBp were present in three of four strains of Staph. aureus var. gallinae. A 1.65 kBp plasmid was present in all seven strains of these poultry biotypes and in three of 14 'endemic' strains. All the 1.65 kBp plasmids were shown by blot hybridization to share sequence homology. There was also some sequence homology between the 18.2 kBp and 17 kBp plasmids. These results were supported by restriction enzyme digest analyses. A study of cured derivatives of strain PS221 f.sp. 'altilis' suggested that the 18.2 kBp plasmid encoded the genetic determinant(s) responsible for caseolysis. Both the 1.65 and the 18.2 kBp plasmids also exerted an effect on the production of acid from lactose. In no other characteristic did cured strains resemble the plasmid-free 'endemic' strains. This was therefore consistent with the notion that the genetic determinants associated with the cultural characteristics of endemic strains are chromosomally located.