title: [Characterization of Leptospira sp reference strains using the pulsed field gel electrophoresis technique].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leptospirosis is an endemic zoonosis of worldwide distribution, caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. This genus includes pathogenic and saprophytic species, with more than 200 different serovars, thus making it difficult to characterize. The technique of pulsed field gel electrophoresis has been used as a tool to aid in this characterization. The aims of this study were to standardize the PFGE technique, determine the molecular profiles of reference strains used at the National Reference Laboratory for Leptospirosis/World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Leptospirosis and create a database with these profiles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen strains were analyzed by means of PFGE, using the restriction enzyme NotI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each strain presented a unique profile that could be considered to be a specific genomic identity, with the exception of the serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni, whose profiles were indistinguishable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was possible to create a database of molecular profiles, which are being used in the Laboratory for comparing and identifying strains isolated from clinical cases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Referência Nacional para Leptospirose, Centro Colaborador da Organização Mundial da Saúd, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. liviamachry@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lívia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Machry
authors.forename: Rachel Leite
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Juliana Magalhães
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vital-Brazil
authors.forename: Ilana Teruszkin
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Balassiano
authors.forename: Ivi Cristina Menezes de
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Kátia Eliane Santos
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Avelar
authors.forename: Martha Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000032:analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D012703:Serotyping / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C038565:GCGGCCGC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases