Comparative typing of Pseudomonas species isolated from the aquatic environment in Greece by SDS-PAGE and RAPD analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Three broadly used typing methods were employed in order to assess and compare the identification and classification of environmental Pseudomonas strains. The reproducibility, typeability and discriminatory power of the methods were also compared to evaluate their application. Finally, the potential impact on public health of the isolates is to be discussed.


RESULTS
Pseudomonas strains (160) isolated from the aquatic environment in Greece and identified by a rapid identification commercially available system (API20NE), were subjected to whole-cell protein electrophoresis (Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPD) using two 10-mer primers. In general, the obtained results were in agreement. Twenty isolates that could not be identified by the API20NE system were classified by the other methods.


CONCLUSIONS
Rapid identification systems may serve only for a first rough identification of environmental Pseudomonads. In order to acquire further information, so that conclusions about their role in the ecosystem and human health could be drawn, other phenotypic or genotypic methods have to be applied.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important, from a public health point of view, to monitor the identities of environmental Pseudomonas isolates using specific methods due to their ubiquity, heterogeneity and their pathogenicity, either established or potential.
Sazakli
E
E
Laboratory of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, Greece. esazaki@med.upatras.gr
Leotsinidis
M
M
Vantarakis
A
A
Papapetropoulou
M
M
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology; D006115:Greece; D010641:Phenotype; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000145:classification*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology
D004269:DNA, Bacterial