CLASSIFICATION OF CLOSTRIDIUM-BUTYRICUM BASED ON SODIUM DODECYL-SULFATE POLYACRYLAMIDE-GEL ELECTROPHORESIS AND PULSED-FIELD GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS

Eleven strains of Clostridium butyricum collected from different sourc es were analysed by both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel ele ctrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). T he strains could be classified into four groups based on their banding profiles of the proteins extracted from the cells on SDS-PAGE. Group I consisted of seven strains, and these strains were further divided i nto five subgroups by PFGE. The strains belonging to groups II, III, a nd IV on SDS-PAGE were also classified into the same II to IV groups b y PFGE. These data indicate that grouping of the strains of C. butyric um can be performed by employing both SDS-PAGE and PFGE. (C) 1998 Acad emic Press.