Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 17, 2026

Antigen-Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Specific Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae
06:04

Antigen-Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Specific Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Published on: February 24, 2023

Genotyping of Mycoplasma pneumoniae clinical isolates reveals eight P1 subtypes within two genomic groups

J W Dorigo-Zetsma1, J Dankert, S A Zaat

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Wendelion.Dorigo@rivm.nl

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|March 4, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Genotyping of Mycoplasma pneumoniae using three methods revealed two distinct genomic groups. Variations in the cytadhesin P1 gene and rRNA gene regions help differentiate these Mycoplasma pneumoniae strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a significant human respiratory pathogen.
  • Accurate genotyping is crucial for understanding M. pneumoniae transmission and epidemiology.
  • Existing genotyping methods have limitations in fully characterizing strain diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate and compare three distinct genotyping methods for Mycoplasma pneumoniae clinical isolates.
  • To identify genetic variations that can differentiate M. pneumoniae strains.
  • To confirm the existence of distinct genomic groups within M. pneumoniae.

Main Methods:

  • Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the cytadhesin P1 gene.
  • Sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA gene spacer region and part of the 23S rRNA gene.
  • Long PCR amplification of interrepeat fragments followed by RFLP analysis.

Main Results:

  • RFLP of the P1 gene identified 5 subtypes among P1 type 1 strains and 3 subtypes among P1 type 2 strains.
  • Sequence analysis revealed nucleotide differences in the rRNA gene spacer and variations in the 23S rRNA gene (presence/absence of adenosine).
  • Long PCR and subsequent RFLP distinguished two main types, correlating perfectly with P1 type 1 and P1 type 2 strains.

Conclusions:

  • Three independent genotyping methods confirm two distinct genomic groups of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
  • Variations within the cytadhesin P1 gene offer expanded possibilities for M. pneumoniae strain typing.
  • These findings enhance our ability to characterize M. pneumoniae isolates for epidemiological studies.

More Related Videos

Constructing Mutants in Serotype 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae strain 519/4306:06

Constructing Mutants in Serotype 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae strain 519/43

Published on: September 11, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Atypical Pneumonia01:14

Atypical Pneumonia

Atypical pneumonia, often caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, is a form of pulmonary infection that differs from the classical presentation of bacterial pneumonia in both its cause and clinical symptoms. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a pleomorphic bacterium notable for its lack of a rigid cell wall. This structural characteristic imparts resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and significantly influences the bacterium’s behavior within the human host.Other pathogens responsible for the disease include...
Modern Molecular Taxonomy01:29

Modern Molecular Taxonomy

Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes01:24

Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes

The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs01:05

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs

A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...