Multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis for molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis of Shigella flexneri.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Shigella flexneri is one of the causative agents of shigellosis, a major cause of childhood mortality in developing countries. Multilocus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) is a prominent subtyping method to resolve closely related bacterial isolates for investigation of disease outbreaks and provide information for establishing phylogenetic patterns among isolates. The present study aimed to develop an MLVA method for S. flexneri and the VNTR loci identified were tested on 242 S. flexneri isolates to evaluate their variability in various serotypes. The isolates were also analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to compare the discriminatory power and to evaluate the usefulness of MLVA as a tool for phylogenetic analysis of S. flexneri.

Re

SUBMITTER: Wang YW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2806262 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature