Molecular Epidemiology of Group B Streptococcal Infections: Use of Restriction Endonuclease Analysis of Chromosomal DNA and DNA Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms of Ribosomal RNA Genes (Ribotyping)

Abstract

Epidemiologic investigation of group B streptococcal (GBS) infections has been limited by the lack of a discriminatory typing system. Therefore, the use of restriction endonuclease analysis of chromosomal DNA (REAC) and DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms of rRNA genes (ribotyping) to subtype molecularly GBS isolates associated with human invasive disease was investigated. Chromosomal DNA of selected GBS isolates was initially digested with 24 different restriction enzymes. HhaI gave the best discrimination of hybridization banding patterns (ribotypes) and was used with all study isolates. Ribotyping and REAC differentiated among isolates of the same and different serotypes. Nine ribotype patterns were noted among the 76 isolates studied, including 4 among serotype Ia/c and 4 additional ribotypes among serotype III isolates. Epidemiologically related isolates (e.g., mother-infant or twin-twin pairs) had identical REAC and ribotype patterns. Epidemiologically unrelated isolates with the same ribotype usually had different REAC patterns, suggesting that REAC may be a more sensitive technique for strain differentiation. REAC and ribotyping were reproducible and proved to be successful molecular epidemiologic methods for subtyping GBS.

Association between clinical presentation, biogroups and virulence attributes ofYersinia enterocoliticastrains in human diarrhoeal disease

“…Ribotypes also strongly correlated with biogroups of Y. enterocolitica. The conserved profile of biogroup 4 reported here corresponds to the Ncil ribotype II found among European isolates described in a previous report [27], and a closely related ribosomal RNA profile was found among all pathogenic biogroups of yersiniae (Fig. 1).…”

Characterization and identification of lactic acid bacteria in “morcilla de Burgos”

“…Before southern blotting, REA patterns were inspected visually in order to obtain preliminary information of the clonal variation. Genomic blots were made using a vacuum device (Vacugene, Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweeden) and rDNA probe for ribotyping was labelled by reverse transcription (AMV-RT, Promega, Madison, Wisconsin, USA) and Dig DNA Labelling Kit (Roche) as previously described by Blumberg et al (1991). Membranes were hybridised at 68ºC as described by Björkroth and Korkeala (1996a Korkeala, 1996bKorkeala, , 1997Lyhs et al, 2000;Björkroth et al, 1998Björkroth et al, , 2000Björkroth et al, , 2002.…”

Macrorestriction analysis of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus) isolates from Malaysia

“…Restriction endonuclease analysis of chromosomal DNA (REA) and ribotyping have been shown to be reliable in the demonstration of epidemiological relationships and are able to differentiate among strains of the same serotypes (Blumberg et al, 1992). Harrison et al (1995) used REA to distinguish relapse from reinfection in recurrent GBS disease.…”