Computer identification of Shigella species by rRNA gene restriction patterns

We describe a MluI ribotyping scheme for Shigella which approaches correlat ion with serotyping. One hundred and seventeen reference strains and previo usly serotyped clinical isolates representing the 57 Shigella serotypes and biotypes were included in this study. A total of 51 distinct ribotypes wer e obtained and a database was built with them. The number of bands composin g each ribotype varied from 9 to 15. The fragments ranged in size from 1.6 to 18.8 kbp. One hundred and eleven clinical isolates were successfully ide ntified in a double blind study with standard biochemical/serologic methods , by automatic comparison of their ribotypes with our database using the so ftware Taxotron. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques ct medicales Elsevier SAS.