[Use of variable-number tandem repeats to examine genetic diversity of Bacillus anthracis].
OBJECTIVE
To study the genotyping of Bacillus anthracis based on multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeats(VNTR) in the B. anthracis genome.


METHODS
We selected 13 VNTR loci (which cited from published articles) to study 88 strains of B. anthracis isolated from China. The methods used were: (1) Selecting the primers which were at both ends of the tandem repeat locus; (2) Amplifying the sequence of the locus by PCR; (3)cDetecting the PCR products by agarose gel and polyacrylamide electrophoresis; (4)Analyzing the PCR products and computing the molecular weight by analysis software of gel images;(5) Double-checking with sequencing results; (6)Reckoning the repeat numbers and study the VNTRs loci characters.


RESULTS
(1) We used multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) to characterize 88 B. anthracis isolates from diverse geographic locations which were divided into 45 MLVA genotypes and 3 groups through cluster analysis. The genotypes was relative to restricted geographical region. It seemed clear that the multiple isolates from the same anthrax outbreak frequently having identical genotypes. (2)Results from VNTR analysis showed that A16R vaccine strain isolated from China was having the nature of representativeness in the country.


CONCLUSIONS
Analysis showed that the VNTR patterns was an appropriate study method for B. anthracis genetic diversity from different geographical areas and different time. Isolates from the same anthrax outbreak had identical
Tain
Gou-zhong
GZ
Institute for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing.
Hai
Rong
R
Yu
Dong-zheng
DZ
Wei
Jian-Chun
JC
Ma
Feng-Qin
FQ
Cai
Hong
H
Zhang
Jian-hua
JH
Zheng
Yu-hong
YH
Fu
Xiu-ping
XP
Zhang
Zhi-kai
ZK
Zhang
En-min
EM
Xu
Dong-lei
DL
D000881:Anthrax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D005843:Geography; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences