Simplified analysis of pathogenic leptospiral serovars by random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting

A rapid, simplified procedure combining random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting of boiled cultures with high resolution agarose gel electrophoresis was used to compare strains from 46 pathogenic leptospiral serovars. The serovars were placed in eight groups on the basis of RAPD profile similarities. Groups 1-7 corresponded with the genome species Leptospira interrogans, L. borgpetersenii, L. santarosai, L. noguchii, L. weilii, L. kirschneri and L. meyeri. The eighth group did not correspond with a known genome species and may represent a new genome species. Primer choice determined the degree of discrimination possible between closely related serovars and genotypes. This procedure, unlike other procedures used for analysing taxonomic relationships between leptospiral serovars, does not require extensive DNA purification, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or autoradiography.