title: Oligonucleotide (GTG)5 as an epidemiological tool in the study of nontuberculous mycobacteria.
abstract: Analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (DNA fingerprinting) has proved to be a useful epidemiological tool in the study of tuberculosis within populations or communities. However, to date, no similar method has been developed to study the epidemiology of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). In this communication, we report that a simple oligonucleotide repeat, (GTG)5, can be used to accurately genotype all species and strains of NTM tested. We suggest that this technology is an easily applied and accurate tool which can be used for the study of the epidemiology of NTM.
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Medical Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa. fjc@maties.sun.ac.za
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Cilliers
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hauman
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wiid
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: van Helden
mesh_terms: D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C032229:GANTC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases