N. Velappan et al., Rapid identification of pathogenic bacteria by single-enzyme amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis, DIAG MICR I, 39(2), 2001, pp. 77-83
Despite major progress in their treatment and prevention, bacterial infecti
ons remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In res
ponding to a disease outbreak, rapid and accurate identification of the bac
terial species involved is of paramount importance. Strain level discrimina
tion is desirable to allow selection of treatment modalities, and in the ca
se of a deliberate release, for identification of the source.
Single-enzyme amplified fragment length polymorphism (SE-AFLP) analysis was
used to perform species and strain identification of subgroup I Bacilli, Y
ersinia, Staphylococci and Escherichia coli. By careful selection of AFLP p
rimers, it was possible to obtain reproducible and sensitive identification
to strain level, even within the highly monomorphic species Bacillus anthr
acis.
SE-AFLP fragments can be analyzed using standard gel electrophoresis, and c
an be easily scored by visual inspection, due to the low complexity of the
fingerprint obtained by this method. These features make SE-AFLP suitable f
or use in either field or laboratory applications. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scienc
e Inc. All rights reserved.