VNTR analysis of selected outbreaks of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Australia.
Molecular typing methods for Burkholderia pseudomallei have been successful at assigning isolates into epidemiologically related groups, but have not been able to detect differences and define evolutionary patterns within groups. Our variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis of a set of 121 Australian B. pseudomallei isolates, 104 of which were associated with nine epidemiological groups, provides fine scale differentiation even among very closely related isolates. We used a Bayesian model based upon mutation accumulation patterns to define the close phylogenetic relationships within these epidemiological groups. Our results reveal that genetic diversity can exist within a very small geographic area, and that low levels of diversity can exist even within a single infection. These methods provide the ability to generate robust evolutionary hypotheses that enable tracking of B. pseudomallei in forensic and epidemiological outbreaks at fine phylogenetic scales.
Pearson
Talima
T
Northern Arizona University, Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Box 5640, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA.
U'Ren
Jana M
JM
Schupp
James M
JM
Allan
Gerard J
GJ
Foster
Peter G
PG
Mayo
Mark J
MJ
Gal
Daniel
D
Choy
Jodie Low
JL
Daugherty
Rebecca Leadem
RL
Kachur
Sergey
S
Friedman
Christine L Clark
CL
Leadem
Benjamin
B
Georgia
Shalamar
S
Hornstra
Heidie
H
Vogler
Amy J
AJ
Wagner
David M
DM
Keim
Paul
P
Currie
Bart J
BJ
D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny