title: Study of the 16S-23S ribosomal DNA internal spacer of Coxiella burnetii.
abstract: The complete 16S-23S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of 22 isolates of the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced using an automated laser fluorescent DNA sequencer. The ITS measured 497 base pairs (bp) and encoded isoleucine-tRNA and alanine-tRNA. The comparison of the sequence alignments of the 22 C. burnetii strains revealed very high levels of sequence similitary (> 99%) although they had different geographic origins and phenotypic characteristics. Sequencing of the 16S-23S rDNA ITS of C. burnetii could be utilized for identification of the bacterium but is not applicable to studies of epidemiology, virulence and taxonomy.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine, Unité des Rickettsies, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kruszewska
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gouvernet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000235:genetics*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S