title: Ribotyping shows intrafamilial similarity in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans isolates.
abstract: This study reports ribosomal RNA gene restriction patterns of 54 Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans isolates obtained from 9 families (12 children and 11 parents). The isolates represented serotypes a, b, c and d. The chromosomal DNA extracted from A. actinomycetemcomitans isolates was digested with the restriction endonucleases EcoRI, BamHI, HindIII, ClaI and Bg/I. The DNA fragments were hybridized to the rrnB ribosomal RNA operon of the Escherichia coli chromosome. In 5 families, isolates belonging to the same family (mother and/or father and the children) had identical hybridization patterns when analyzed with all 5 enzymes. In 3 families, each family member harbored only one ribotype of A. actinomycetemcomitans, but at least one member harbored isolates that were of a different ribotype than the other members of the family. In one family, the mother harbored 2 ribotypes (and serotypes), one common with the daughter and one different. In conclusion, the study confirms the previous results that A. actinomycetemcomitans is transmitted intrafamilially.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Orthodontics Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alaluusua
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saarela
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jousimies-Somer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asikainen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015342:DNA Probes; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes