Objective To understand the elonal expansion and genetic diversity of Salmonella en-terica semtype Paratyphi A (SPA) and to construct a typing method to determine the epidemic clones of the isolates. Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed with 3980 SPA isolates by the cen-trolled Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique on Muller-Hinton agar plates. A total of 15 SPA with nalidixie acid resistance for mutations in gyrA, gyrB, gyrC and gyrE genes within the quinolone-resistant determina-tion region (QRDR) were examined. Subtyping of 121 isolates of SPA from seven counties in Yuxi were studied using pulsed-field gel eleetrophoresis (PFGE) analysis following digestion of chromosomal DNA with restriction endanucleases Spe Ⅰ and Xba Ⅰ. PFGE patterns were analyzed by duster analysis. Results The nalidixic acid-susceptible isolates predominated in 1999 but was replaced by nalidixic acid -resistant (NAR) isolates after 2000. Amplification by PCR and sequencing of the genes with subsets of 15 NAR strains re-vealed that the resistance mechanisms had resulted from single point mutations in the gyrA gene. Spe Ⅰ and Xba Ⅰ digestion of 121 isolates gave five and four different PFGE patterns with the predominance of the Spe Ⅰ 01 and Spe Ⅰ 02 (or the Xba Ⅰ 01) epidemic patterns, respectively. Spe Ⅰ 01 and Spe Ⅰ 02 consisted of 37.2% and 57.9% of isolates, respectively, or Xba Ⅰ 01 consisted of 95.0% of isolates. Conclusion The incidence of resistance to nalidixic acid of the isolates increased during the study period. PFGE patterns Spe Ⅰ 01 and Spe Ⅰ 02 (or Xba Ⅰ 01), the main clones of the epidemics, are highly prevalent in Yuxi. PFGE with Spe Ⅰ and Xba Ⅰ is a useful technique to differentiate SPA.

Objective:To establish a matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) assay for the identification of common Salmonella serotypes and provide etiology evidence for the early precise treatment of salmonellosis. Methods:A total of 500 strains were collected from different regions and sources and five predominant Salmonella serotypes ( Salmonella Typhi , Salmonella Paratyphi A , Salmonella Typhimurium , Salmonella Enteritidis , and Salmonella Indiana) of each strain was identified by agglutination test and whole-genome sequencing. The protein complex of the strains was extracted by using optimized pretreatment method to establish the fingerprint database of peptides for each Salmonella serotype. The new serotyping assays were established by using different modules based on the mass spectra database. Additional 155 strains with specified serotypes and variant sources were used to test and evaluate the accuracy of the new typing assays. Results:Five MALDI-TOF MS databases were established, and two new serotyping assays were established via peptide fingerprint mapping/matching and machine learning of the neuronal convolutional network respectively based on the databases. The results showed that the fingerprint matching approach could quickly identify five common Salmonella serotypes in clinical practice compared with the machine learning method, the accuracy of fingerprint matching assay to identify five Salmonella serotypes reached 100.00% and the serotyping can be conducted within a short time (15-20 minutes) and had a good reproducibility, while the machine learning method could not completely identify these serotypes. Moreover the sensitivity and specificity of fingerprint matching assay were all 100.00% respectively, while they were only 82.23% and 95.81% for machine learning method. Conclusion:The established Salmonella serotyping assay based on MALDI-TOF MS in this study can easily, rapidly and accurately identify different serotypes of Salmonella.

Objective:To explore the regulation mechanism of the quorum sensing regulator AphA on the functional activity of type Ⅵ secretion system VflT6SS2 in Vibrio fluvialis. Methods:Western Blot analysis was used to detect the relative expression and secretion of VflT6SS2 signature component hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp) in wild type (WT), Δ aphA, and corresponding complementary strains. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR and luminescence activity assay of the promoter- lux fusion system was used to measure the mRNA expression levels and promoter activity of the VflT6SS2 core and accessory gene-cluster representative genes tssB2, hcp ( tssD2) and vgrG ( tssI2), and the quorum sensing regulator HapR in WT and Δ aphA strains. A point mutation experiment combined with a luminescence activity assay was used to verify the regulatory binding site of AphA in the tssD2b promoter region. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to determine AphA binding to the hapR promoter. Results:The mRNA expression levels of tssB2, hcp( tssD2), vgrG ( tssI2), and hapR as well as the protein expression and secretion levels of Hcp in Δ aphA strain, were significantly higher than those in the WT strain. The promoter activities of the VflT6SS2 core cluster, tssD2a, tssI2a, and hapR were higher in Δ aphA strain than in the WT strain, while the promoter activity of tssD2b showed the opposite trend. The promoter sequence analysis of tssD2a and tssD2b found significant differences in the region from -335 bp to -229 bp, and two potential AphA binding sites on tssD2b. The promoter activity of tssD2b decreased significantly after the point mutation of the two potential AphA binding sites. EMSA results showed that AphA binds directly to the promoter region of hapR. Conclusions:AphA indirectly inhibits the regulation of the VflT6SS2 core and accessory gene clusters at the promoter level by directly repressing the expression of hapR. AphA showed opposite regulation patterns for tssD2a and tssD2b, and AphA could positively regulate the expression of tssD2b by directly binding to the tssD2b promoter region (-335 bp to -229 bp).