Genetic mapping in a poultry biotype of Staphylococcus aureus

Summary Genetic mapping in a poultry biotype of Staphylococcus aureus was carried out using transformation. The existence of a met (thrB)-tyr-trp-thrA-lys-thy linkage group was confirmed. Pur-nov linkage was also shown but poultry biotypes were found to be naturally auxotrophic for histidine. The genetic arrangement was similar, but not identical, to that shown previously for strains of phage groups II and III. The distribution of Tn551 induced mutations in a poultry strain PS221 and in strain ISP479 of human origin also showed both similarities and differences. The data suggest that the genetic organisation in human and non-human biotypes of S. aureus retains common features and that such strains differ as the result of minor adaptive modifications.