GENETIC DIVERSITY OF NEISSERIA-GONORRHOEAE IB-2 AND IB-6 ISOLATES REVEALED BY WHOLE-CELL REPETITIVE ELEMENT SEQUENCE-BASED PCR

Phenotypic characterization of 19 Neisseria gonorrhoeae serovar IB-2 a nd 8 serovar IB-6 isolates by the combined use of auxotypes, serologic al characterization, and penicillin susceptibility testing indicated i ntraserovar genetic diversity. In the present study, we applied whole- cell repetitive element sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) analysis which al lows a rapid assessment of the clonal relationships of IB-2 and IB-6 i solates. DNA templates were prepared by boiling cells harvested direct ly from plate cultures, eliminating the need for time-consuming phenol extraction, Six different rep-PCR profiles were established among the 19 IB-2 isolates. Rep-PCR typing results had a good correlation with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, It is slightly less discrim inatory than Bg/II-generated macrorestriction pattern analysis by puls ed-field gel electrophoresis, It is capable of discriminating epidemio logically related from epidemiologically unrelated IB-2 isolates, It s hould serve as a rapid and useful subtyping tool for epidemiologic inv estigations in which there is a predominance of major serovar groups.