Molecular-genetic comparison of Streptococcus pyogenes strains types emm1 and emm12 on prophage genes repertoire

Objective: Molecular analysis of Streptococcus pyogenes types emm1 and emm12 genomes on the presence of genes belonging to prophage DNA.

Methods: Thirty-one strains of S. pyogenes type emm1 and 22 strains of S. pyogenes type emm12 were objects of the study. Polymerase chain reaction with special primers for detection of 24 phage genes was used in the study.

Results: Prevalence of phage genes in strains of different emm types was assessed. The following phage genes were most frequently detected: speA, speC, ssa genes for emm1 type and speC and speH for emm12 type. On the basis of the study, 19 different profiles of phage genes were identified.

Conclusions: The study allowed to identify not only differences but also similarities between strains of emm1 and emm12 types on prophage gene repertoire in bacterial genome. Presence of similarities allows to assume the possibility of circulation in the studied region similar or identical bacteriophages between streptococci group A (SGA) strains of different emm types.