title: Analysis of the Mycobacterium ulcerans genome sequence reveals new loci for variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) typing.
abstract: Screening of the genome sequence of the Mycobacterium ulcerans strain Agy99 from Ghana with tandem repeats finder software revealed 34 novel non-degenerate tandem repeats containing loci suitable for variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) typing. All loci revealed polymorphism within M. ulcerans isolates of geographically diverse origins. The results confirm the evolutionary scenario suggested by multi-locus sequence typing in which a progenitor of all M. ulcerans lineages emerged from the environmental species Mycobacterium marinum and subsequently diverged into several geographical lineages. For further attempts to develop a VNTR-based genetic fingerprinting tool for M. ulcerans, it is suggested that the focus should rather be on M. marinum than on the African M. ulcerans Agy99 genome sequence as a starting point.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilty
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Käser
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zinsstag
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stinear
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pluschke
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005843:Geography; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D019910:Mycobacterium marinum / Q000235:genetics; D019911:Mycobacterium ulcerans / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial