Evaluation of tRNA intergenic spacer length polymorphism analysis as a molecular method for species identification of streptococcal isolates from bovine mastitis.
Sixty-nine bovine mastitis streptococci belonging to the species Str. agalactiae (n = 13), Str. dysgalactiae (n = 16), Str. canis (n = 22), Str. uberis (n = 20) and Str. parauberis (n = 4) and six reference strains of the five streptococcal species were examined for their tRNA gene intergenic length polymorphism (tDNA-ILP) fingerprint pattern. Epidemiologically unrelated isolates from bovine mastitis cases were selected by macrorestriction analysis with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Their results were compared with those obtained from biochemical and serological studies and with those obtained by PCR-mediated identification amplifying species-specific gene segments of the five streptococcal species. According to the present results tDNA-ILP allowed a correct identification of all Str. agalactiae, Str. uberis and Str. parauberis strains investigated also including the reference strains of each species showing species-specific banding pattern. However, all Str. dysgalactiae ssp. dysgalactiae and all Str. canis strains appeared with an undistinguishable pattern which did not allow an identification of the species.
Zschöck
Michael
M
Staatliches Untersuchungsamt Hessen, Abteilung Veterinärmedizin, Marburger Str. 54, D-35396 Giessen, Germany. M.Zschoeck@lnl.hessen.de
Manhold-Maurer
Sabine
S
Wescher
Agnes
A
Merl
Kristin
K
Khan
Ishar
I
Lämmler
Christoph
C
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000235:genetics*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012343:RNA, Transfer