title: High-throughput amplification fragment length polymorphism (htAFLP) analysis identifies genetic lineage markers but not complement phenotype-specific markers in Moraxella catarrhalis.
abstract: Comparative high-throughput amplified fragment length polymorphism (htAFLP) analysis was performed on a set of 25 complement-resistant and 23 complement-sensitive isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis in order to determine whether there were complement phenotype-specific markers within this species. The htAFLP analysis used 21 primer-pair combinations, generating 41 364 individual fragments and 2273 fragment length polymorphisms, with an average of 862 polymorphisms per isolate. Analysis of polymorphism data clearly indicated the presence of two phylogenetic lineages and 40 (2%) lineage-specific polymorphisms. However, despite the presence of 361 (16%) statistically significant complement phenotype-associated polymorphisms, no single marker was 100% complement phenotype-specific. Furthermore, no complement phenotype-specific marker was found within different phylogenetic lineages. These findings agree with previous results indicating that the complement resistance phenotype within M. catarrhalis is probably defined by multiple genes, although not all of these genes may be present within all M. catarrhalis isolates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. j.hays@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hays
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gorkink
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eadie
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Verduin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verbrugh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Belkum
mesh_terms: D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D003165:Complement System Proteins