USE OF THE INSERTION ELEMENT IS6110 FOR DNA FINGERPRINTING OF MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS ISOLATES PRESENTING VARIOUS PROFILES OF DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY

IS6100 is an insertion sequence of the IS3 family and it is present in multiple copies in the chromosome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Four to 15 copies are present in various strains of M. tuberculosis. In th is study, the value of IS6110 as an epidemiological marker of tubercul osis was examined. Unrelated clinical strains from Greek patients pres ented, in restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, a high de gree of polymorphism, whereas patterns of related clinical strains fro m familial outbreaks were identical. Since RFLP analysis with acetylam inofluorene labeled IS6110 as the probe gave satisfactory results, it is suggested that this non-radioactive probe can be used in hospitals and health centres for the epidemiological survey of M. tuberculosis i nfections.