title: A comparison of probes for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 strains.
abstract: The use of probes derived from rRNA sequences to detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) associated with the ribosomal RNA genes for epidemiological typing (ribotyping) is a powerful and readily applicable tool. Different probes and enzymes for ribotyping were compared for a series of 73 unrelated Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 strains. The probes compared were cDNAs, transcribed from L. pneumophila or Escherichia coli rRNA subunits, and a cloned L. pneumophila rRNA gene. The cloned rRNA gene probe gave the best discrimination and this probe was further compared with cloned probes comprised of randomly selected (non-rRNA) parts of the L. pneumophila chromosome. In this instance the greatest discrimination was achieved when one of the non-ribosomal RNA gene probes was employed. The overall discrimination of RFLP typing was enhanced by combining the data obtained with both rRNA and non-rRNA probes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiological Reagents and Quality Control, Central Public Laboratory, London.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haththotuwa
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D007875:Legionella / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015347:RNA Probes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012703:Serotyping / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015347:RNA Probes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C032824:ATCGAT-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; C035801:CCSGG-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific