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Typing of group A streptococci by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis
1Antimicrobial Research Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Turku, Finland.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|August 1, 1994
Summary
Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis offers a practical alternative for genomic typing of group A streptococci (GAS). This method, when used with serotyping, enhances the differentiation of GAS strains compared to restriction endonuclease analysis alone.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Accurate strain typing of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is crucial for epidemiological surveillance and outbreak investigations.
- Traditional methods like serotyping and restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) have limitations in differentiating closely related strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis as a genomic typing method for GAS.
- To compare the discriminatory power of RAPD with REA and serotyping.
Main Methods:
- Genomic DNA from 160 epidemiologically unrelated GAS isolates was analyzed using RAPD with a single 12-nucleotide primer.
- REA of genomic DNA and serotyping were performed for comparison.
Main Results:
- RAPD analysis yielded 31 distinct patterns, while REA produced 15 patterns.
- RAPD and REA showed concordance for 86% of isolates, identifying 15 strains among 138 isolates.
- RAPD differentiated 16 additional strains among 22 isolates, demonstrating superior discriminatory power over REA for certain isolates and serotypes.
Conclusions:
- RAPD analysis is a practical and effective alternative for genomic typing of GAS.
- RAPD analysis offers improved differentiation of GAS isolates compared to REA, particularly for strains within the same or different serotypes.
- Combining RAPD analysis with serotyping is recommended for comprehensive GAS typing.