Molecular analysis of field strains of Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae and Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides, small colony type isolated from goats in Tanzania

A molecular analysis of strains of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp, capripneumo niae (M. capripneumoniae) and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, small co lony type (M. mycoides SQ isolated from goats was performed using the ampli fied fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and pulsed-field gel electrophores is (PFGE) fingerprinting techniques. Among the 11 field strains of M. capri pneumoniae from Tanzanian goats, two AFLP patterns were demonstrated, with 10 of the strains showing indistinguishable patterns. Five Kenyan strains o f M. capripneumoniae produced three AFLP patterns, with two of them being i ndistinguishable from the 10 identical Tanzanian and one Ugandan strain (M7 4/93) isolated from sheep, The AFLP pattern of the type strain (F38(T)) was identical to two Kenyan strains (Baringo and G183/82). On PFGE analysis, a ll the examined M. capripneumoniae strains exhibited identical PFGE profile s. Five field strains of M. mycoides SC isolated from goats displayed identica l AFLP patterns except for one strain which differed from others at only on e position. The AFLP pattern of the type strain of M. mycoides SC (PG1(T)) was different from the field strains. The five field strains of M. mycoides SC produced identical PFGE profiles, which were, however, different from t he type strain. The AFLP and PFGE profiles of M. mycoides SC strains from g oats were identical to those of six strains isolated from cattle affected w ith contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in the same areas. The results of this study suggest a close epidemiological linkage between strains of M . capripneumoniae and between M. mycoides SC type, respectively, isolated f rom goats in Tanzania. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.