Multilocus restriction typing: a tool for Neisseria meningitidis strain discrimination

Abstract

Invasive disease-associated strains of Neisseria meningitidis were analysed by multilocus restriction typing (MLRT), which involves the restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis of PCR products generated from the seven loci of housekeeping genes used in MLST. Several different restriction patterns (alleles) were observed for each of the seven loci examined. Greater allelic variation was observed with the fumC and pgm loci than with the abcZ and adk loci, suggesting that the latter were more conserved. The alleles at each of the seven loci were combined to give an allelic profile or restriction type (RT). A good correlation between RT and serogroup, serotype and serosubtype was observed, as all C 2ap1.2,5 strains were contained in a single RT, as were all but one strain of B 4p1.4. In this study, MLRT proved to be an efficient, effective and relatively inexpensive method for N. meningitidis strain characterization.

Multilocus restriction typing: A tool for studying molecular diversity within Lactobacillus helveticus of dairy origin

“…The multilocus restriction typing (MLRT) involves a restriction analysis of PCR products generated from several loci of selected housekeeping genes. This method, which has been explored in studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori (Han et al, 2000;Muller-Graf et al, 1999), seems to provide a good basis for estimating overall levels of genotypic variation in population of microorganisms (Bennett & Cafferkey, 2003;Coenye & LiPuma, 2002).…”

Characterization of serogroup C meningococci isolated from 14 provinces of China during 1966–2005 using comparative genomic hybridization

“…The ability to identify accurately the strains of infectious agents which caused disease was central to epidemiological surveillance and public health decisions. Several effective techniques that examine isolates for characteristics that allow discrimination below the species level, e.g., serological typing, multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) [17] , MLST [18] , multilocus restriction typing (MLRT) [19,20] , have been adopted for routine strain characterization in the clinical setting, especially in the investigation of outbreaks and in determining the epidemiology of N. meningitidis. The data from each of the characterization methods provided different levels of discrimination.…”

Resolution of a Protracted Serogroup B Meningococcal Outbreak with Whole-Genome Sequencing Shows Interspecies Genetic Transfer

“…meningitidis isolate which, together with the N. meningitidis isolates cultured from carriage ( n = 14), was further characterized by serotyping (20), genogrouping (21), and multilocus restriction typing (MLRT) (22). …”