title: Characterization of enterococcal isolates by restriction enzyme analysis of genomic DNA.
abstract: A restriction enzyme analysis (REA) of chromosomal DNA for the intra-species characterization of enterococci is reported. The DNA was extracted by a rapid method and digested with the restriction enzyme Sal I to provide a characteristic 'fingerprint' consisting of 10-20 bands in the 1.6-5.0 kb range. One hundred and eighty enterococcal isolates were examined; 5 were type strains, 15 from an out-patient clinic and 160 from a geographically isolated British Antarctic Survey Base. The epidemiologically unrelated out-patient clinic isolates gave readily distinguishable patterns, whereas isolates from the geographically isolated community showed evidence of colonization. This technique provided a highly discriminatory method of isolate characterization for Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium and E. durans suitable for epidemiological studies. A sample of isolates were probed with 16 + 23 S ribosomal RNA from Escherichia coli. Discrimination between isolates was poorer than with REA, although good correlation was observed between the results of the two techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, UK.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lacoux
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Jordens
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guiney
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Pennington
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI; D015247:Deoxyribonuclease HindIII; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000145:classification; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000145:classification; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D000091402:Prohibitins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016985:Streptococcus bovis / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI; D015247:Deoxyribonuclease HindIII; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C029792:GTCGAC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases