Kata Gunlabun. Molecular typing of leptospira species based on putative o-antigen polymerase gene sequence . Master's Degree(Tropical Medicine). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2007.
Molecular typing of leptospira species based on putative o-antigen polymerase gene sequence
Abstract:
The traditional classification of Leptospira spp. was based on serovars. A new serovar was initially determined by raising antibody to each serovar and then performing the cross-adsorption procedure with other serovars. The antigenically related serovars were included in the same serogroup. The test had a number of drawbacks, as it was laborious and required maintenance of living organisms for use as antigens. Molecular typing was an alternative and more practical method to develop in this study, and was focused on wzy gene encoding O-antigen polymerase enzyme involved in LPS biosynthesis. The classical 16S rRNA that could resolve at the species level also perform. The phylogenetic tree analysis of these genes from Leptospira isolates and Leptospira spp. reference strains were constructed by Bayesian inference phylogenetic tree.
The wzy gene tree could be classified into 7 genetically related groups, of which its differentiation power was better than that of the more highly conserved 16S rRNA. The result of 16S rRNA phylogenetic tree revealed most of leptospiral Thai isolates as L. interrogans species, while the isolates that could not be amplified by wzy flanking primers were typed in 2 groups. The first group was closely related to L. meyeri, the other group was related to L. fainei and L. inadai. Further investigation, DNA probes derived from wzy gene, orf13, orf15 and rmlB gene could not detect any related gene in those unknown species.