The use of (GTG)5 oligonucleotide as an RAPD primer to type Campylobacter concisus.
OBJECTIVE
DNA fingerprinting using (GTG)(5) oligonucleotide as a primer in a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay was assessed by typing isolates of Campylobacter concisus strains, collected over a period of 8 years.


RESULTS
RAPD analysis using the (GTG)(5) oligonucleotide as a primer was used to type 100 isolates of C. concisus comprising mostly isolates from children with diarrhoea. Using this method, 86% of the isolates were found to be genotypically diverse. Of these heterogeneous isolates, 25 of the strains were also shown to be genetically distinct in a previous study using pulsed field gel electrophoresis. The remaining isolates (14) could be classified into five profile groups based on the DNA fingerprinting patterns. The assay successfully identified epidemiologically linked strains from the unrelated genetically diverse pool of strains.


CONCLUSIONS
Laboratory RADP typing using the (GTG)(5) primer proved to be useful in distinguishing related strains of C. concisus from a large pool of unrelated strains of this organism.


CONCLUSIONS
RAPD typing using (GTG)(5) is a simple method that could be used to investigate the epidemiology of C. concisus. The results suggest that homologous lineages of C. concisus may exist within an otherwise heterogeneous species complex. However, these data need to be confirmed using a more robust typing method.
Matsheka
M I
MI
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. matsheka@mopipi.ub.bw
Lastovica
A J
AJ
Zappe
H
H
Elisha
B G
BG
D000328:Adult; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods; D017931:DNA Primers; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006801:Humans; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000235:genetics*; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique / Q000379:methods*
D017931:DNA Primers; D009841:Oligonucleotides