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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #340809
Research Project: Umbrella Project for Food Safety

Location: Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit

Title: Identification of salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky genes involved in attachment to chicken skin

Author
item SALEHI, SANAZ - Mississippi State University
item HOWE, KEVIN - Mississippi State University
item Brooks, John
item LAWRENCE, MARK - Mississippi State University
item BAILEY, H - Mississippi State University
item KARSI, ATTILA - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: BMC Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2016
Publication Date: 7/29/2016
Citation: Salehi, S., Howe, K., Brooks, J.P., Lawrence, M., Bailey, H., Karsi, A. 2016. Identification of salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky genes involved in attachment to chicken skin. BMC Microbiology. 16:168.

Interpretive Summary: Salmonella prevalence in poultry processing plants continues to be an issue. In this work, our goal was to to understand the attachment mechanism of Salmonella to broiler skin. Results indicated that mutations in S. Kentucky flagellar biosynthesis genes (flgA, flgC, flgK, flhB, and flgJ) led to the poorest attachment of the bacterium to chicken skin.

Technical Abstract: Background: Regardless of sanitation practices implemented to reduce Salmonella prevalence in poultry processing plants, the problem continues to be an issue. To gain an understanding of the attachment mechanism of Salmonella to broiler skin, a bioluminescent-based mutant screening assay was used. A random mutant library of a field-isolated bioluminescent strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky was constructed. Mutants’ attachment to chicken skin was assessed in 96-well plates containing uniform 6 mm diameter pieces of circular chicken skin. After washing steps, mutants with reduced attachment were selected based on reduced bioluminescence, and transposon insertion sites were identified.