Open AccessMolecular investigations applied to nontuberculous mycobacteria identification
Author(s) -
Monica Pecorari,
William Gennari,
Anna Fabio,
Antonella Grottola,
Massimino Messinò,
Giuliana Fabio,
N. Nanni,
Giulia Forbicini,
Rita Magnani,
Anna Maria Teresa Sabbatini,
Fabio Rumpianesi,
Chiara Casolari
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
microbiologia medica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2280-6423
pISSN - 1120-0146
DOI - 10.4081/mm.2009.2526
Subject(s) - nontuberculous mycobacteria , genotype , microbiology and biotechnology , 16s ribosomal rna , isolation (microbiology) , mycobacterium , mycobacterium kansasii , biology , bacteria , gene , genetics
Objective. Aim of this study was molecular identification in clinical specimens of NonTuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) with commercial methods and automated sequencing. Materials and methods. Three thousand clinical specimens were analyzed for the isolation of Mycobacteria. Forty strains of NTM were previously analyzed with GenoType Mycobacteria CM/AS kit and then with partial 16S rDNA sequencing. Results. 38/40 NMT strains were identified with GenoType Mycobacteria CM/AS kit as: M. gordonae (15), M. intracellulare (8), M. xenopi (8), M. mucogenicum (2), M. kansasii (2), M. chelonae (1), M. avium (1), M. lentiflavum (1). Two unidentified strains were subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing and were identified as M. kumamotonense. Conclusions. Partial 16SrDNA sequencing is a valid assay to study NTM strains unidentified with commercial assays. This new approach, applied to clinical diagnostic, also permits the recognition of unusual strains or new species