Association of Cyclopropane Fatty Acid Synthesis with Thermo-Tolerance of Campylobacter Survival
Aims: To investigate the possession of the cyclopropane fatty acid synthase (cfa) gene by thermo-tolerant and non-thermo-tolerant Campylobacter spp. and to examine the presence of the cfa gene in Campylobacter that survived the scalding stage of poultry processing and to further investigate the cfa gene expression at 37⁰C in different C. jejuni strains that are able or not able to survive at 52⁰C. Methods and Results: The presence of the cfa gene in Campylobacter strains was determined by PCR. In order to determine the effect of heating on survival, the thermophilic C. jejuni were grouped by those collected before and those collected after the scalding stage process both groups being exposed to 52⁰C. Quantitative RT- PCR was performed to verify the gene expression level of cfa at 37⁰C in C. jejuni strains able or not able to survive at 52⁰C.
