scholarly journals Molecular Epidemiology of Brucella abortus Isolates from Cattle, Elk, and Bison in the United States, 1998 to 2011

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 3674-3684 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Higgins ◽  
Tod Stuber ◽  
Christine Quance ◽  
William H. Edwards ◽  
Rebekah V. Tiller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brucella Abortus ◽  
Minimum Spanning Tree ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
The United States ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Group Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Field Isolates ◽  
Pair Group ◽  
Starr County

ABSTRACTA variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) protocol targeting 10 loci in theBrucella abortusgenome was used to assess genetic diversity among 366 field isolates recovered from cattle, bison, and elk in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) and Texas during 1998 to 2011. Minimum spanning tree (MST) and unweighted-pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analyses of VNTR data identified 237 different VNTR types, among which 14 prominent clusters of isolates could be identified. Cattle isolates from Texas segregated into three clusters: one comprised of field isolates from 1998 to 2005, one comprised of vaccination-associated infections, and one associated with an outbreak in Starr County in January 2011. An isolate obtained from a feral sow trapped on property adjacent to the Starr County herd in May 2011 clustered with the cattle isolates, suggesting a role for feral swine asB. abortusreservoirs in Starr County. Isolates from a 2005 cattle outbreak in Wyoming displayed VNTR-10 profiles matching those of strains recovered from Wyoming and Idaho elk. Additionally, isolates associated with cattle outbreaks in Idaho in 2002, Montana in 2008 and 2011, and Wyoming in 2010 primarily clustered with isolates recovered from GYA elk. This study indicates that elk play a predominant role in the transmission ofB. abortusto cattle located in the GYA.

scholarly journals Examination of Taxonomic Uncertainties Surrounding Brucella abortus bv. 7 by Phenotypic and Molecular Approaches

2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 1570-1579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Garin-Bastuji ◽  
Virginie Mick ◽  
Gilles Le Carrou ◽  
Sebastien Allix ◽  
Lorraine L. Perrett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brucella Abortus ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Epidemiological Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Phenotypic Profile ◽  
Molecular Approaches ◽  
Content Classification ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Kenyan Strain

ABSTRACTBrucellataxonomy is perpetually being reshuffled, at both the species and intraspecies levels. Biovar 7 ofBrucella abortuswas suspended from theApproved Lists of Bacterial NamesBrucellaclassification in 1988, because of unpublished evidence that the reference strain 63/75 was a mixture ofB. abortusbiovars 3 and 5. To formally clarify the situation, all isolates previously identified asB. abortusbv. 7 in the AHVLA and ANSES strain collections were characterized by classical microbiological and multiple molecular approaches. Among the 14 investigated strains, including strain 63/75, only four strains, isolated in Kenya, Turkey, and Mongolia, were pure and showed a phenotypic profile in agreement with the former biovar 7, particularly agglutination with both anti-A/anti-M monospecific sera. These results were strengthened by molecular strategies. Indeed, genus- and species-specific methods allowed confirmation that the four pure strains belonged to theB. abortusspecies. The combination of most approaches excluded their affiliation with the recognized biovars (biovars 1 to 6 and 9), while some suggested that they were close to biovar 3.These assays were complemented by phylogenetic and/or epidemiological methods, such as multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis. The results of this polyphasic investigation allow us to propose the reintroduction of biovar 7 into theBrucellaclassification, with at least three representative strains. Interestingly, the Kenyan strain, sharing the same biovar 7 phenotype, was genetically divergent from other three isolates. These discrepancies illustrate the complexity ofBrucellataxonomy. This study suggests that worldwide collections could include strains misidentified asB. abortusbv. 7, and it highlights the need to verify their real taxonomic position.

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Subtyping Methods against a Whole-Genome-Sequencing Standard for Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 212-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyu Deng ◽  
Nikki Shariat ◽  
Elizabeth M. Driebe ◽  
Chandler C. Roe ◽  
Beth Tolar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Whole Genome Sequencing ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
The United States ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Molecular Subtyping ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sporadic Cases

A retrospective investigation was performed to evaluate whole-genome sequencing as a benchmark for comparing molecular subtyping methods forSalmonella entericaserotype Enteritidis and survey the population structure of commonly encounteredS. entericaserotype Enteritidis outbreak isolates in the United States. A total of 52S. entericaserotype Enteritidis isolates representing 16 major outbreaks and three sporadic cases collected between 2001 and 2012 were sequenced and subjected to subtyping by four different methods: (i) whole-genome single-nucleotide-polymorphism typing (WGST), (ii) multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA), (iii) clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats combined with multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (CRISPR-MVLST), and (iv) pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). WGST resolved all outbreak clusters and provided useful robust phylogenetic inference results with high epidemiological correlation. While both MLVA and CRISPR-MVLST yielded higher discriminatory power than PFGE, MLVA outperformed the other methods in delineating outbreak clusters whereas CRISPR-MVLST showed the potential to trace major lineages and ecological origins ofS. entericaserotype Enteritidis. Our results suggested that whole-genome sequencing makes a viable platform for the evaluation and benchmarking of molecular subtyping methods.

scholarly journals Link between Geographical Origin and Occurrence of Brucella abortus Biovars in Cow and Water Buffalo Herds

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 1039-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgia Borriello ◽  
Simone Peletto ◽  
Maria G. Lucibelli ◽  
Pier L. Acutis ◽  
Danilo Ercolini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brucella Abortus ◽  
Water Buffalo ◽  
Geographical Origin ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
National Plan ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repeat Analysis ◽  
Management Procedures

ABSTRACTSixty-threeBrucellaisolates from water buffaloes and cattle slaughtered within the Italian national plan for brucellosis control were characterized by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Genotyping indicated a strong influence of geographic origin on theBrucella abortusbiovar distribution in areas where brucellosis is endemic and highlighted the importance of rigorous management procedures aimed at avoiding inter- and intraherd spreading of pathogens.

scholarly journals Novel genotypes of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Sejroe isolated from human patients in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-590
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Kakita ◽  
Hisako Kyan ◽  
Masato Miyahira ◽  
Taketoshi Takara ◽  
Eri Nakama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Species ◽  
Minimum Spanning Tree ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Link Type ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Sequence Types ◽  
Reference Strains

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of Leptospira species. It is a public health issue in the tropics, including Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. This study reports the first isolation of L. interrogans serogroup Sejroe from two human patients in Japan, and describes its molecular characterization using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). MLST on the two isolates, 168036 and 178129, showed that pfkB in 178129 is a novel allele, and that both isolates constitute novel sequence types (STs); ST286 for 168036 and ST287 for 178129. A minimum spanning tree based on seven alleles of L. interrogans indicates that both isolates are genetically close, but are distinct from known L. interrogans serogroup Sejroe strains. MLVA using 11 loci demonstrated that seven of the 11 loci were identical between the two isolates, whereas the identity between the isolates and the seven reference strains of L. interrogans serogroup Sejroe was zero to three loci. These results indicate that the isolates investigated in this study have novel genotypes, and are genetically closest to each other among the known L. interrogans serogroup Sejroe strains.

scholarly journals Host Range-Associated Clustering Based on Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis, Phylotypes, and Virulence Genes of Atypical EnteropathogenicEscherichia coliStrains

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Shafiullah Parvej ◽  
Hiromi Nakamura ◽  
Md Ashraful Alam ◽  
Lili Wang ◽  
Shaobo Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spanning Tree ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Minimum Spanning Tree ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Epidemiological Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repeat Analysis ◽  
Group I ◽  
Virulence Group

ABSTRACTAtypical enteropathogenicEscherichia coli(aEPEC) strains (36 Japanese and 50 Bangladeshi) obtained from 649 poultry fecal samples were analyzed by molecular epidemiological methods. Clermont’s phylogenetic typing showed that group A was more prevalent (58%, 50/86) than B1 (31%, 27/86). Intimin type β1, which is prevalent among human diarrheal patients, was predominant in both phylogroups B1 (81%, 22/27) and A (70%, 35/50). However, about 95% of B1-β1 strains belonged to virulence group I, and 77% of them were Japanese strains, while 17% (6/35) of A-β1 strains did. Multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) distributed the strains into 52 distinct profiles, with Simpson’s index of diversity (D) at 73%. When the data were combined with those of 142 previous strains from different sources, the minimum spanning tree formed five zones for porcine strains, poultry strains (excluding B1-β1), strains from healthy humans, bovine and human patient strains, and the B1-β1 poultry strains. Antimicrobial resistance to nalidixic acid was most common (74%) among the isolates. Sixty-eight percent of them demonstrated resistance to ≥3 antimicrobial agents, and most of them (91%) were from Bangladesh. The strains were assigned into two groups by hierarchical clustering. Correlation matrix analysis revealed that the virulence genes were negatively associated with antimicrobial resistance. The present study suggested that poultry, particularly Japanese poultry, could be another reservoir of aEPEC (phylogroup B1, virulence group I, and intimin type β1); however, poultry strains seem to be apart from patient strains that were closer to bovine strains. Bangladeshi aEPEC may be less virulent for humans but more resistant to antibiotics.IMPORTANCEAtypical enteropathogenicEscherichia coli(aEPEC) is a diarrheagenic type ofE. coli, as it possesses the intimin gene (eae) for attachment and effacement on epithelium. Since aEPEC is ubiquitous even in developed countries, we previously used molecular epidemiological methods to discriminate aEPEC as a human pathogen. The present study assessed poultry as another source of human diarrheagenic aEPEC. Poultry could be the source of aEPEC (phylogroup B1, virulence group I, and intimin type β1) found among patient strains in Japan. However, the minimum spanning tree (MST) suggested that the strains from Japanese poultry were far from Japanese patient strains compared with the distance between bovine and patient strains. Bangladeshi avian strains seemed to be less diarrheagenic but are hazardous as a source of drug resistance genes.

scholarly journals Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis ofYersinia ruckeriConfirms the Existence of Host Specificity, Geographic Endemism, and Anthropogenic Dissemination of Virulent Clones

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Snorre Gulla ◽  
Andrew C. Barnes ◽  
Timothy J. Welch ◽  
Jesús L. Romalde ◽  
David Ryder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Tandem Repeat ◽  
Minimum Spanning Tree ◽  
Clonal Complex ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Yersinia Ruckeri ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repeat Analysis

ABSTRACTA multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) assay was developed for epizootiological study of the internationally significant fish pathogenYersinia ruckeri, which causes yersiniosis in salmonids. The assay involves amplification of 10 variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci in two five-plex PCRs, followed by capillary electrophoresis. A collection of 484Y. ruckeriisolates, originating from various biological sources and collected from four continents over 7 decades, was analyzed. Minimum-spanning-tree cluster analysis of MLVA profiles separated the studied population into nine major clonal complexes and a number of minor clusters and singletons. The major clonal complexes could be associated with host species, geographic origin, and serotype. A single large clonal complex of serotype O1 isolates dominating the yersiniosis situation in international rainbow trout farming suggests anthropogenic spread of this clone, possibly related to transport of fish. Moreover, subclustering within this clonal complex indicates putative transmission routes and multiple biotype shift events. In contrast to the situation in rainbow trout,Y. ruckeristrains associated with disease in Atlantic salmon appear as more or less geographically isolated clonal complexes. A single complex of serotype O1 exclusive to Norway was found to be responsible for almost all major yersiniosis outbreaks in modern Norwegian salmon farming, and site-specific subclustering further indicates persistent colonization of freshwater farms in Norway. Identification of genetically diverseY. ruckeriisolates from clinically healthy fish and environmental sources also suggests the widespread existence of less-virulent or avirulent strains.IMPORTANCEThis comprehensive population study substantially improves our understanding of the epizootiological history and nature of an internationally important fish-pathogenic bacterium. The MLVA assay developed and presented represents a high-resolution typing tool particularly well suited forYersinia ruckeriinfection tracing, selection of strains for vaccine inclusion, and risk assessment. The ability of the assay to separate isolates into geographically linked and/or possibly host-specific clusters reflects its potential utility for maintenance of national biosecurity. The MLVA is internationally applicable and robust, and it provides clear, unambiguous, and easily interpreted results. Typing is reasonably inexpensive, with a moderate technological requirement, and may be completed from a harvested colony within a single working day. As the resulting MLVA profiles are readily portable, anyY. ruckeristrain may rapidly be placed in a global epizootiological context.

scholarly journals Potentially Human-Pathogenic Escherichia coli O26 in Norwegian Sheep Flocks

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (14) ◽  
pp. 4949-4958 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Sekse ◽  
M. Sunde ◽  
B.-A. Lindstedt ◽  
P. Hopp ◽  
T. Bruheim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Representative Sampling ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Pathogenic Escherichia Coli ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Large Survey

ABSTRACTA national survey ofEscherichia coliO26 in Norwegian sheep flocks was conducted, using fecal samples to determine the prevalence. In total, 491 flocks were tested, andE. coliO26 was detected in 17.9% of the flocks. One hundred forty-twoE. coliO26 isolates were examined for flagellar antigens (H typing) and four virulence genes, includingstxandeae, to identify possible Shiga toxin-producingE. coli(STEC) and enteropathogenicE. coli(EPEC). Most isolates (129 out of 142) were identified asE. coliO26:H11. They possessedeaeand may have potential as human pathogens, although only a small fraction were identified as STEC O26:H11, giving a prevalence in sheep flocks of only 0.8%. Correspondingly, the sheep flock prevalence of atypical EPEC (aEPEC) O26:H11 was surprisingly high (15.9%). The genetic relationship between theE. coliO26:H11 isolates was investigated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), identifying 63 distinct PFGE profiles and 22 MLVA profiles. Although the MLVA protocol was less discriminatory than PFGE and a few cases of disagreement were observed, comparison by partition mapping showed an overall good accordance between the two methods. A close relationship between a few isolates of aEPEC O26:H11 and STEC O26:H11 was identified, but all theE. coliO26:H11 isolates should be considered potentially pathogenic to humans. The present study consisted of a representative sampling of sheep flocks from all parts of Norway. This is the first large survey of sheep flocks focusing onE. coliO26 in general, including results of STEC, aEPEC, and nonpathogenic isolates.

scholarly journals Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis of Dutch Bordetella pertussis Strains Reveals Rapid Genetic Changes with Clonal Expansion during the Late 1990s

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (16) ◽  
pp. 5496-5505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo M. Schouls ◽  
Han G. J. van der Heide ◽  
Luc Vauterin ◽  
Paul Vauterin ◽  
Frits R. Mooi
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Tandem Repeat ◽  
Bordetella Pertussis ◽  
Minimum Spanning Tree ◽  
Whooping Cough ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Clonal Expansion ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Multiple Locus ◽  
Repeat Analysis

ABSTRACT Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, has remained endemic in The Netherlands despite extensive nationwide vaccination since 1953. In the 1990s, several epidemic periods have resulted in many cases of pertussis. We have proposed that strain variation has played a major role in the upsurges of this disease in The Netherlands. Therefore, molecular characterization of strains is important in identifying the causes of pertussis epidemiology. For this reason, we have developed a multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) typing system for B. pertussis. By combining the MLVA profile with the allelic profile based on multiple-antigen sequence typing, we were able to further differentiate strains. The relationships between the various genotypes were visualized by constructing a minimum spanning tree. MLVA of Dutch strains of B. pertussis revealed that the genotypes of the strains isolated in the prevaccination period were diverse and clearly distinct from the strains isolated in the 1990s. Furthermore, there was a decrease in diversity in the strains from the late 1990s, with a remarkable clonal expansion that coincided with the epidemic periods. Using this genotyping, we have been able to show that B. pertussis is much more dynamic than expected.

scholarly journals Detection of DNA and Ploidy Variation within Vegetatively Propagated Zoysiagrass Cultivars

2014 ◽  
Vol 139 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen R. Harris-Shultz ◽  
Susana Milla-Lewis ◽  
Aaron J. Patton ◽  
Kevin Kenworthy ◽  
Ambika Chandra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Reference Sample ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
The United States ◽  
Group Method ◽  
Group Iii ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
Pair Group ◽  
Group I ◽  
Two Samples

Zoysiagrass (Zoysia sp.) is used as a warm-season turfgrass for lawns, parks, and golf courses in the warm, humid and transitional climatic regions of the United States. Zoysiagrass is an allotetraploid species (2n = 4x = 40) and some cultivars are known to easily self- and cross-pollinate. Previous studies showed that genetic variability in the clonal cultivars Emerald and Diamond was likely the result of contamination (seed production or mechanical transfer) or mislabeling. To determine the extent of genetic variability of vegetatively propagated zoysiagrass cultivars, samples were collected from six commercially available zoysiagrass cultivars (Diamond, Emerald, Empire, JaMur, Meyer, Zeon) from five states (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas). Two of the newest cultivar releases (Geo and Atlantic) were to serve as outgroups. Where available, one sample from university research plots and two samples from sod farms were collected for each cultivar per state. Forty zoysiagrass simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and flow cytometry were used to compare genetic and ploidy variation of each collected sample to a reference sample. Seventy-five samples were genotyped and an unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clustering revealed four groups. Group I (Z. japonica) included samples of ‘Meyer’ and Empire11 (‘Empire’ sample at location #11), Group II (Z. japonica × Z. pacifica) included samples of ‘Emerald’ and ‘Geo’, Group III (Z. matrella) included samples of ‘Diamond’ and ‘Zeon’, and Group IV (Z. japonica) consisted of samples from ‘Empire’, ‘JaMur’, ‘Atlantic’, and Meyer3 (‘Meyer’ at sample location #3). Samples of ‘Empire’, ‘Atlantic’, and ‘JaMur’ were indistinguishable with the markers used. Four samples were found to have alleles different from the respective reference cultivar, including two samples of ‘Meyer’, one sample of ‘Empire’, and one sample of ‘Emerald’. Three of these samples were from Texas and one of these samples was from Florida. Three of the four samples that were different from the reference cultivar were university samples. In addition, one sample, Empire11, was found to be an octoploid (2n = 8x = 80). For those samples that had a fingerprint different from the reference cultivar, contamination, selfing, and/or hybridization with other zoysiagrasses may have occurred.

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