title: Predominance of three copies of tandem repeats in rpoT gene of Mycobacterium leprae from Northern India.
abstract: This study has been carried out to get understanding of the origin among the strains of Mycobacterium leprae in patients from Northern India by using number of tandem repeats in rpoT gene as marker. Biopsies were collected from hundred leprosy cases (paucibacillary (PB) as well as multibacillary (MB)) across the spectrum from patients attending clinic at JALMA or diagnosed in Field Unit at Ghatampur (Kanpur). These biopsies were homogenized and DNA was extracted by a physiochemical procedure. rpoT region was amplified by using the primers and conditions earlier published. Among 100 strains from Northern Indian patients, 89% exhibited the presence of three copies of the 6bp tandem repeat in the rpoT gene, while 11% contained four copies. These profiles along with other genotyping data may help in studying the historical spread of leprosy by strains of M. leprae disseminated by various human races that migrated to Northern India from other places of Asian continent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (ICMR), Tajganj, Agra 282001, India.
authors.forename: Mallika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lavania
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.forename: Haribhan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Anuj Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Devendra Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: Vishnu Dutt
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Pawan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sachan
authors.forename: Shailendra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sachan
authors.forename: Vishwa Mohan
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Katoch
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007918:Leprosy / Q000382:microbiology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics*; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; C414706:rpoT protein, Mycobacterium leprae