Improved identification of epidemiologically related strains of Salmonella enterica by use of a fusion algorithm based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis.

ABSTRACT: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) are used to assess genetic similarity between bacterial strains. There are cases, however, when neither of these methods quantifies genetic variation at a level of resolution that is well suited for studying the molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens. To improve estimates based on these methods, we propose a fusion algorithm that combines the information obtained from both PFGE and MLVA assays to assess epidemiological relationships. This involves generating distance matrices for PFGE data (Dice coefficients) and MLVA data (single-step stepwise-mutation model) and modifying the relative distances using the two different data types. We applied the algorithm to a set of Salmonella

SUBMITTER: Broschat SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3020867 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature