STREPTOCOCCAL EMM TYPES ASSOCIATED WITH T-AGGLUTINATION TYPES AND THEUSE OF CONSERVED EMM GENE RESTRICTION FRAGMENT PATTERNS FOR SUBTYPINGGROUP-A STREPTOCOCCI

The T-agglutination types were determined for a diverse collection of 1531 group A streptococci for which the 5' M protein gene (emm) sequen ces had been analysed. The majority of the T-agglutination types corre lated with previously seen M/emm/T-type associations; however, several new associations were found. Analysis of a subset of this collection - which included 1157 clinical isolates with multiply encountered emm types - found that emm amplicon restriction profiles of isolates shari ng identical T types and opacity factor phenotypes are useful for dete cting groups of isolates with identical emm genes. Many emm genes of k nown 5' sequence display a highly conserved restriction pattern amongs t clinical isolates widely separated both geographically and temporall y.