Identification of outbreak-associated and other strains ofClostridium difficileby numerical analysis of SDS-PAGE protein patterns

Abstract

SUMMARYSeventy-three cultures of Clostridium difficile isolated both during, and in the period immediately following, an outbreak of infection in a group of three hospitals, were characterized by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of whole-cell proteins. Each protein pattern was characterized by the presence of one or two dense bands which were highly reproducible. The protein patterns were used as the basis for a numerical analysis which divided the strains into five phenons (electrophoretic or EP types). The majority, 60 of the 73 cultures, belonged to a single phenon which included strains from both patients and the environment. We conclude that highresolution SDS-PAGE of proteins provides an effective method for typing C. difficile and therefore for tracing the possible spread of epidemic strains in hospitals and other institutions, thereby allowing a better understanding of the epidemiology of the organism.

Identification of propionibacteria isolated from brown spots of Swiss hard and semi-hard cheeses

“…Previous researchers [3][4][5]12] using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) reported a reproducibility of this technique at the 92-98 %, 95.9 ± 1.7 % and 93-97 % level, respectively. Reproducibility of RAPD was described by Fessier et al [6].…”