Multilocus sequence typing of Streptococcus uberis provides sensitive and epidemiologically relevant subtype information and reveals positive selection in the virulence gene pauA.

ABSTRACT: Control of the bovine mastitis pathogen Streptococcus uberis requires sensitive and epidemiologically meaningful subtyping methods that can provide insight into this pathogen's epidemiology and evolution. Development of a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme based on six housekeeping and virulence genes allowed differentiation of 40 sequence types among 50 S. uberis isolates from the United States (n = 30) and The Netherlands (n = 20). MLST was more discriminatory than EcoRI or PvuII ribotyping and provided subtype data with better epidemiological relevance, e.g., by discriminating isolates with identical ribotypes obtained from different farms. Phylogenetic analyses of MLST data revealed indications of reticulate evolution between genes, preventing construction of a core phylogeny bas

SUBMITTER: Zadoks RN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1153724 | biostudies-literature | 2005 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature