Open AccessHigh Level of Sequence Diversity in the 16S rRNA Genes of Haemophilus influenzae Isolates Is Useful for Molecular Subtyping
Author(s) -
Cláudio Tavares Sacchi,
Dietmar Alber,
Peter M. Dull,
Elizabeth Mothershed,
Anne M. Whitney,
Gwen A. Barnett,
Tanja Popović,
Leonard W. Mayer
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of clinical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.349
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1070-633X
pISSN - 0095-1137
DOI - 10.1128/jcm.43.8.3734-3742.2005
Subject(s) - multilocus sequence typing , biology , subtyping , haemophilus influenzae , 16s ribosomal rna , typing , serotype , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , sequence analysis , molecular epidemiology , gene , genotype , bacteria , computer science , programming language
A molecular typing method based on the 16S rRNA sequence diversity was developed forHaemophilus influenzae isolates. A total of 330H. influenzae isolates were analyzed, representing a diverse collection of U.S. isolates. We found a high level of 16S rRNA sequence heterogeneity (up to 2.73%) and observed an exclusive correlation between 16S types and serotypes (a to f); no 16S type was found in more than one serotype. Similarly, no multilocus sequence typing (MLST) sequence type (ST) was found in more than one serotype. Our 16S typing and MLST results are in agreement with those of previous studies showing that serotypableH. influenzae isolates behave as highly clonal populations and emphasize the lack of clonality of nontypable (NT)H. influenzae isolates. There was not a 1:1 correlation between 16S types and STs, but allH. influenzae serotypable isolates clustered similarly. This correlation was not observed for NTH. influenzae ; the two methods clustered NTH. influenzae isolates differently. 16S rRNA gene sequencing alone provides a level of discrimination similar to that obtained with the analysis of seven genes for MLST. We demonstrated that 16S typing is an additional and complementary approach to MLST, particularly for NTH. influenzae isolates, and is potentially useful for outbreak investigation.