title: Characterisation of short tandem repeats for genotyping Mycobacterium leprae.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Establish a typing system for Mycobacterium leprae based on polymorphic DNA structures known as short tandem repeats (STR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Assess 16 polymorphic STR for sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility in standard assays using reference strains of M. leprae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primers for 16 STR loci were selected based on PCR product size and for their ability to sequence each STR locus from both directions. All primer pairs produced a visible PCR amplicon of appropriate size from PCR reactions containing 10 M. leprae cells. DNA sequences for each STR locus, except (AT) 15, was correctly identified as M. leprae-specific in replicate samples containing 1000 M. leprae using either the forward or reverse PCR primers. Twelve of 13 M. leprae STR loci were stable during passage in heavily infected armadillo tissues over a 5 year and 7 month infection cycle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Certain M. leprae STR provide suitable targets for strain typing with the potential for grouping M. leprae with shared genotypes that may prove useful for establishing linkages between leprosy cases within geographical regions.
authors.affiliation: National Hansen's Disease Programs, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. tgillis@lsu.edu
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.forename: Varalakshmi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vissa
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Saroj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Jan Hendrik
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Richardus
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Truman
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001135:Armadillos; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial