Molecular epidemiology survey of toxinogenic Clostridium perfringens strain types by multiplex PCR.
Toxin genotypes of 95 C. perfringens strains collected within a 45-year period were analysed by a multiplex PCR. A set of primers designed for 4 different genes encoding the alpha, beta, epsilon, and iota toxins was used in a single reaction with a sensitivity of gene detection of 200 fg for DNA extracted from pure culture. Most of the strains (97%) conformed to the A biotype, and the remaining to the C or E biotypes. For biotype determination, seroneutralization of lethality in mice was performed by intravenous injection. Toxin phenotype and genotype profile were concordant in 94% of strains. Our results documented the presence of rare toxin genotypes of C. perfringens in a Polish geographical region and indicated the suitability of multiplex PCR as a method supplementing classical techniques and providing better insight into the prevalence of toxinogenic C. perfringens strains.
Augustynowicz
E
E
Department of Sera and Vaccines Evaluation, National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland.
Gzyl
A
A
Slusarczyk
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D051379:Mice; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial