Piyada Wangroongsarb. Molecular characterization of Leptospira species isolates in Thailand . Doctoral Degree(Tropical Medicine). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Molecular characterization of Leptospira species isolates in Thailand
Abstract:
Attempts have been made to develop a molecular system for differentiation
of Leptospira spp. LPS (O-antigen) is a key antigen involved in serogroup typing.
These studies employed the 16SrRNA gene and the orf14 gene from the rfb locus that
has a putative role as O-Ag polymerase. PCR-RFLP and direct sequencing of PCR
products were performed on the two targets, 16SrRNA gene and orf14. These two
target genes were aimed to characterize unknown leptospiral isolates, in comparison to
leptospiral reference strains.
The result of 16SrRNA PCR-RFLP digested with HinfI and HpaII and the
result of orf14 PCR-RFLP digested with AluI and DraI were computed by Gene tool
and Gene directory software (Syngene Co.Ltd.) and the binary data were reanalyzed
with PHYLIP 3.6 program (2001). The outcome of orf14 PCR-RFLP revealed
distinguishing patterns which can differentiate individual Leptospira serovars better
than when using 16SrRNA PCR-RFLP. Orf14 PCR-RFLP for differentiation of
Leptospira spp. is a fast technique and requires small amounts of genomic DNA. It is
suitable for some slow-growing and fastidious leptospiral isolates which yield a small
amount of cell mass. However, there was limited discrimination power of the RFLP
pattern due to the limited restriction enzyme sites which could not cut the PCR
products. The 16SrRNA sequences can differentiate species, and it was found that
most human and rat isolated cultures related to Leptospira interrogans and Leptospira
kirschneri could not be related to any reference strains. Orf14 sequencing data could
be used to catagorize leptospiral strains into 3 types, i.e. Interrogans, Hardjo and
Bataviae types and it could be applied as another target gene for molecular typing of
Leptospira spp.