Genotypic Classification of and from Korean Slaughterhouses Using Semiautomated Repetitive Sequence-Based Polymerase Chain Reaction.

A repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) technique utilizing a semiautomated system, namely DiversiLab, was applied to determine the genotypes of and obtained from slaughterhouses. Twenty-four and 16 isolates from pigs and Hanwoo cattle from three slaughterhouses were used to create a DNA fingerprint library with the system software. Scatterplots demonstrated that rep-PCR groupings of isolates were in good agreement with their origins. Specifically, linked rep-PCR profiles were observed for isolates recovered from the same slaughterhouse, and higher genetic similarities were found among strains isolated from adjacent regions. All isolates except one (ID: A-Hanwoo-9) from slaughterhouse "A" clustered with the three reference strains, Korea Culture Center of Microorganisms (KCCM) 41291, KCCM 12214, and Culture Collection of Antimicrobial Resistant Microbes (CCARM) 3A007 (similarity values >95%). Moreover, most isolates obtained from slaughterhouse "B" clustered with KCCM 11335 and KCCM 41331, and two isolates from slaughterhouse "C" clustered with CCARM 0027. Therefore, for this species, genotypic characteristics of regional isolates can be used to track the pathway of contamination. In contrast, isolates showed high genetic diversity and could not be clustered with any specific group. Collectively, this system is useful for analyzing genetic diversity and is a rapid and reproducible typing method; however, there is a need to develop rep-PCR libraries for its use as a rapid identification method.