Open AccessDifferentiation of Coxiella burnetii isolates by sequence determination and PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of isocitrate dehydrogenase gene
Author(s) -
Nguyen Sa Van,
Hirai Katsuya
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb08803.x
Subject(s) - coxiella burnetii , biology , q fever , restriction fragment length polymorphism , isocitrate dehydrogenase , rickettsiaceae , gene , polymerase chain reaction , genetics , restriction enzyme , rickettsiales , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , enzyme , biochemistry
The isocitrate dehydrogenase ( icd ) gene of Coxiella burnetii was cloned and sequenced to differentiate between isolates with various geographic origins and phenotypic properties. Based on the gene sequences all 19 isolates studied could be divided into three groups. Group 1 contained isolates originating from acute cases of Q fever, ticks and cows. Groups 2 and 3 included isolates from chronic Q fever patients and a prototype strain from an aborted goat. Although the icd gene profiles were different among isolates of the latter two groups, there were two base differences common for both groups which could be used as markers to distinguish them from group 1 isolates. Based on one of the markers a simple method using PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was developed for rapid differentiation of C. burnetii isolates as well as for direct detection and differentiation of the bacterium in human serum samples. Taken together, the study results suggest that the icd ‐based differentiation method may be useful in clinical investigation of Coxiella infections.