CHARACTERIZATION OF ISOLATES OF PAENIBACILLUS-LARVAE SUBSP LARVAE FROM DIVERSE GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN BY THE POLYMERASE-CHAIN-REACTION AND BOXPRIMERS

Ninety-nine strains of Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae, the causal agent of American Foulbrood disease (AFB) of honeybees, mere isolated from different regions of Argentina and other countries. The isolates were characterized on the basis of DNA fingerprints by a polymerase ch ain reaction technique (PCR) with BOX sequence-specific primers. Isola tes from Argentina generated three groups of patterns (designated A, B , and C), while P. larvae subsp. larvae strains obtained from other co untries yielded two distinguishable patterns (coincident with A and B) . Strains from U.S.A. and Germany were identical and related to Group A, while all Czech and English isolates belonged to Group B. Strains f rom France, Poland, Italy, Sweden, and New Zealand showed two differen t patterns (A and B). Comparisons of the biochemical type and genotype of isolates rendered no obvious linkage between both features. These results suggest that AFB in Argentina resulted from multiple sources o f contaminated material. (C) 1998 Academic Press.