title: Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis of Edwardsiella piscicida isolates pathogenic to fish.
abstract: This study describes a novel multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) based on six variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) loci for genotyping of 37 Edwardsiella piscicida (previously Edwardsiella tarda) isolates from multiple sources. The number of alleles identified for each of the six VNTR loci ranged from 3 to 5 with VNTR loci 1 (DI = 0.632) and 3 (DI = 0.644), displaying the highest degrees of polymorphism. MLVA typing of the 37 E. piscicida isolates resulted in the identification of five major clusters consistent with their geographical origins, and were designated as MLVA types I, II, III, IV and V. Types III and V were resolved further into subtypes largely consistent with outbreak source. An MLVA profile comprising a string of integers representing the number of tandem repeats for each allele provided a unique identification for each MLVA type and/or strain. The MLVA protocol described in the current study is robust, relatively simple, has a higher power of resolution than multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and is capable of discriminating closely related isolates.
authors.affiliation: Section for Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway; School of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Debre-zeit, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abayneh
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Colquhoun
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sørum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D020594:Edwardsiella / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing / Q000662:veterinary*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Edwardsiella piscicida; Edwardsiella tarda; fish; multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis; pathogen