High-resolution genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis strains by multilocus sequence analysis

• Genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis is limited by the low sequence variation in the genome, and no adequatemethod is available for analysis of the spread of chlamydial infections in the community. We have developeda multilocus sequence typing (MLST) system based on five target regions and compared it with analysis ofompA, the single gene most extensively used for genotyping. Sequence determination of 16 reference strains,comprising all major serotypes, serotypes A to L3, showed that the number of genetic variants in the fiveseparate target regions ranged from 8 to 16. The genetic variation in 47 clinical C. trachomatis isolates ofrepresentative serotypes (14 serotype D, 12 serotype E, 11 serotype G, and 10 serotype K strains) was analyzed;and the MLST system detected 32 variants, whereas 12 variants were detected by using ompA analysis.Specimens of the predominant serotype, serotype E, were differentiated into seven genotypes by MLST but intoonly two by ompA analysis. The MLST system was applied to C. trachomatis specimens from a population ofmen who have sex with men and was able to differentiate 10 specimens of one predominant ompA genotype Gvariant into four distinct MLST variants. To conclude, our MLST system can be used to discriminate C.trachomatis strains and can be applied to high-resolution molecular epidemiology.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

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