Distribution of prophages and SGI-1 antibiotic-resistance genes among different Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates.

Recently, the authors identified Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) definitive type (DT)104-specific sequences of mainly prophage origin by genomic subtractive hybridization. In the present study, the distribution of the prophages identified, ST104 and ST64B, and the novel prophage remnant designated prophage ST104B, was tested among 23 non-DT104 S. Typhimurium isolates of different phage types and 19 isolates of the DT104 subtypes DT104A, DT104B low and DT104L, and the DT104-related type U302. The four S. Typhimurium prophages Gifsy-1, Gifsy-2, Fels-1 and Fels-2 were also included. Analysis of prophage distribution in different S. Typhimurium isolates may supply additional information to enable development of a molecular method as an alternative to phage typing. Furthermore, the presence of the common DT104 antibiotic resistance genes for the penta-resistance type ACSSuT, aadA2, floR, pse-1, sul1 and tet(G), was also studied because of the authors' focus on this emerging type. Based on differences in prophage presence within their genome, it was possible to divide S. Typhimurium isolates into 12 groups. Although no clear relationship was found between different phage type and prophage presence, discrimination could be made between the different DT104 subtypes based on diversity in the presence of prophages ST104, ST104B and ST64B. The novel prophage remnant ST104B, which harbours a homologue of the Escherichia coli O157 : H7 HldD LPS assembly-related protein, was identified only in the 14 DT104L isolates and in the DT104-related U302 isolate. In conclusion, the presence of the genes for penta-resistance type ACSSuT, the HldD homologue containing ST104 prophage remnant and phage type DT104L are most likely common features of the emerging subtype of S. Typhimurium DT104.