CHARACTERIZATION OF LEPTOSPIRAL SEROVARS BY RANDOMLY AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA-FINGERPRINTING

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting of 14 laborat ory strains of leptospiral serovars (serovars australis, autumnalis, b allum, bataviae, canicola. grippotyphosa, hardjoprajitno, hebdomadis, icterohaemorrhagiae, javanica, pomona, pyrogenes, panama, and tarassov i) was carried out by using a pair of primers. Each serovar had a uniq ue and distinct fingerprint pattern. DNAs of other bacterial species, including Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Salmonella spp., Ps eudomonas spp., and Klebsiella spp., did not show any amplification. R APD fingerprinting was found to be a rapid and sensitive method for se rovar identification when it was compared to DNA restriction enzyme an alysis, which produced a larger number of bands that made it more diff icult to compare serovars.