scholarly journals Subtyping of a Large Collection of Historical Listeria monocytogenes Strains from Ontario, Canada, by an Improved Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis (MLVA)

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (20) ◽  
pp. 6472-6480 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Saleh-Lakha ◽  
V. G. Allen ◽  
J. Li ◽  
F. Pagotto ◽  
J. Odumeru ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTListeria monocytogenesis responsible for severe and often fatal food-borne infections in humans. A collection of 2,421L. monocytogenesisolates originating from Ontario's food chain between 1993 and 2010, along with Ontario clinical isolates collected from 2004 to 2010, was characterized using an improved multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). The MLVA method was established based on eight primer pairs targeting seven variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci in two 4-plex fluorescent PCRs. Diversity indices and amplification rates of the individual VNTR loci ranged from 0.38 to 0.92 and from 0.64 to 0.99, respectively. MLVA types and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns were compared using Comparative Partitions analysis involving 336 clinical and 99 food and environmental isolates. The analysis yielded Simpson's diversity index values of 0.998 and 0.992 for MLVA and PFGE, respectively, and adjusted Wallace coefficients of 0.318 when MLVA was used as a primary subtyping method and 0.088 when PFGE was a primary typing method. Statistical data analysis using BioNumerics allowed for identification of at least 8 predominant and persistentL. monocytogenesMLVA types in Ontario's food chain. The MLVA method correctly clustered epidemiologically related outbreak strains and separated unrelated strains in a subset analysis. An MLVA database was established for the 2,421L. monocytogenesisolates, which allows for comparison of data among historical and new isolates of different sources. The subtyping method coupled with the MLVA database will help in effective monitoring/prevention approaches to identify environmental contamination by pathogenic strains ofL. monocytogenesand investigation of outbreaks.

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (23) ◽  
pp. 8325-8335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Balandyté ◽  
Isabelle Brodard ◽  
Joachim Frey ◽  
Anna Oevermann ◽  
Carlos Abril

ABSTRACTListeria monocytogenesis among the most important food-borne pathogens and is well adapted to persist in the environment. To gain insight into the genetic relatedness and potential virulence ofL. monocytogenesstrains causing central nervous system (CNS) infections, we used multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) to subtype 183L. monocytogenesisolates, most from ruminant rhombencephalitis and some from human patients, food, and the environment. Allelic-profile-based comparisons groupedL. monocytogenesstrains mainly into three clonal complexes and linked single-locus variants (SLVs). Clonal complex A essentially consisted of isolates from human and ruminant brain samples. All but one rhombencephalitis isolate from cattle were located in clonal complex A. In contrast, food and environmental isolates mainly clustered into clonal complex C, and none was classified as clonal complex A. Isolates of the two main clonal complexes (A and C) obtained by MLVA were analyzed by PCR for the presence of 11 virulence-associated genes (prfA,actA,inlA,inlB,inlC,inlD,inlE,inlF,inlG,inlJ, andinlC2H). Virulence gene analysis revealed significant differences in theactA,inlF,inlG, andinlJallelic profiles between clinical isolates (complex A) and nonclinical isolates (complex C). The association of particular alleles ofactA,inlF, and newly described alleles ofinlJwith isolates from CNS infections (particularly rhombencephalitis) suggests that these virulence genes participate in neurovirulence ofL. monocytogenes. The overall absence ofinlGin clinical complex A and its presence in complex C isolates suggests that the InlG protein is more relevant for the survival ofL. monocytogenesin the environment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (16) ◽  
pp. 5318-5325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Punnida Techaruvichit ◽  
Hajime Takahashi ◽  
Mongkol Vesaratchavest ◽  
Suwimon Keeratipibul ◽  
Takashi Kuda ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCampylobacter jejuniis a common cause of the frequently reported food-borne diseases in developed and developing nations. This study describes the development of multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) using capillary electrophoresis as a novel typing method for microbial source tracking and epidemiological investigation ofC. jejuni. Among 36 tandem repeat loci detected by the Tandem Repeat Finder program, 7 VNTR loci were selected and used for characterizing 60 isolates recovered from chicken meat samples from retail shops, samples from chicken meat processing factory, and stool samples. The discrimination ability of MLVA was compared with that of multilocus sequence typing (MLST). MLVA (diversity index of 0.97 with 31 MLVA types) provided slightly higher discrimination than MLST (diversity index of 0.95 with 25 MLST types). The overall concordance between MLVA and MLST was estimated at 63% by adjusted Rand coefficient. MLVA predicted MLST type better than MLST predicted MLVA type, as reflected by Wallace coefficient (Wallace coefficient for MLVA to MLST versus MLST to MLVA, 86% versus 51%). MLVA is a useful tool and can be used for effective monitoring ofC. jejuniand investigation of epidemics caused byC. jejuni.


2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiro Murase ◽  
Kiyohiko Izumi ◽  
Akihiro Ohkado ◽  
Akio Aono ◽  
Kinuyo Chikamatsu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Strain genotyping based on the variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) is widely applied for identifying the transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A consensus set of four hypervariable loci (1982, 3232, 3820, and 4120) has been proposed to improve the discrimination of Beijing lineage strains. Herein, we evaluated the utility of these four hypervariable loci for tracing local tuberculosis transmission in 981 cases over a 14-month period in Japan (2010 to 2011). We used six different VNTR systems, with or without the four hypervariable loci. Patient ages and weighted standard distances (a measure of the dispersion of genotype-clustered cases) were used as proxies for estimating local tuberculosis transmission. The highest levels of isolate discrimination were achieved with VNTR systems that incorporated the four hypervariable loci (i.e., the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association [JATA]18-VNTR, mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit [MIRU]28-VNTR, and 24Beijing-VNTR). The clustering rates by JATA12-VNTR, MIRU15-VNTR, JATA15-VNTR, JATA18-VNTR, MIRU28-VNTR, and 24Beijing-VNTR systems were 52.2%, 51.0%, 39.0%, 24.1%, 23.1%, and 22.0%, respectively. As the discriminative power increased, the median weighted standard distances of the clusters tended to decrease (from 311 to 80 km, P < 0.001, Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test). Concurrently, the median ages of patients in the clusters tended to decrease (from 68 to 60 years, P < 0.001, Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test). These findings suggest that strain typing using the four hypervariable loci improves the prediction of active local tuberculosis transmission. The four-locus set can therefore contribute to the targeted control of tuberculosis in settings with high prevalence of Beijing lineage strains.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tansy Peters ◽  
Sophie Bertrand ◽  
Jonas T Björkman ◽  
Lin T Brandal ◽  
Derek J Brown ◽  
...  

Multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) is a rapid and reproducible typing method that is an important tool for investigation, as well as detection, of national and multinational outbreaks of a range of food-borne pathogens. Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is the most common Salmonella serovar associated with human salmonellosis in the European Union/European Economic Area and North America. Fourteen laboratories from 13 countries in Europe and North America participated in a validation study for MLVA of S. Enteritidis targeting five loci. Following normalisation of fragment sizes using a set of reference strains, a blinded set of 24 strains with known allele sizes was analysed by each participant. The S. Enteritidis 5-loci MLVA protocol was shown to produce internationally comparable results as more than 90% of the participants reported less than 5% discrepant MLVA profiles. All 14 participating laboratories performed well, even those where experience with this typing method was limited. The raw fragment length data were consistent throughout, and the inter-laboratory validation helped to standardise the conversion of raw data to repeat numbers with at least two countries updating their internal procedures. However, differences in assigned MLVA profiles remain between well-established protocols and should be taken into account when exchanging data.


2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 1956-1962
Author(s):  
RENDONG FANG ◽  
BING JIANG ◽  
JIANHUA XIE ◽  
ZICHUN WANG ◽  
WANGWANG LIANG ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen worldwide. Multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) has been used for listeriosis surveillance and outbreak investigations. MLVA typing schemes have been proposed, but their usefulness for typing isolates from the People's Republic of China has not been assessed. To this aim, all L. monocytogenes strains (79) isolated from 1,445 raw meat and abattoir environmental samples of three western provinces in China were characterized with PCR serogrouping, multilocus sequence typing, and MLVA. The isolates were typed into the four PCR serogroups IIb (38.0%), IIc (26.6%), IIa (24.0%), and IVb (11.4%), with a Simpson's index (SI) of 0.7235. With multilocus sequence typing, they were typed into 18 sequence types (STs), including two new STs, ST1029 and ST1011, with an SI of 0.8880. With the 14 MLVA loci from the previous five schemes, the isolates were typed into 39 MLVA genotypes, with an SI of 0.9656. The typing data indicated that MLVA had the highest typing capability among the three methods. A subsequent optimization analysis identified an optimal combination of eight loci (LMV2, LMV9, LMV1, Lm10, Lm11, Lm15, Lm23, and LMTR6) producing the same SI as that of the 14 loci. The present optimized combination shared only six loci with the optimal nine-loci combination proposed in Australia, verifying for the first time that the optimal combinations varied with the isolates' sets. The current optimal typing scheme was ideal for L. monocytogenes isolates from western China.


2012 ◽  
Vol 141 (10) ◽  
pp. 2101-2110 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. T. LUNESTAD ◽  
T. T. T. TRUONG ◽  
B.-A. LINDSTEDT

SUMMARYThe objective of this study was to characterizeListeria monocytogenesisolated from farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and the processing environment in three different Norwegian factories, and compare these to clinical isolates by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). The 65L. monocytogenesisolates obtained gave 15 distinct MLVA profiles. There was great heterogeneity in the distribution of MLVA profiles in factories and within each factory. Nine of the 15 MLVA profiles found in the fish-associated isolates were found to match human profiles. The MLVA profile 07-07-09-10-06 was the most common strain in Norwegian listeriosis patients.L. monocytogeneswith this profile has previously been associated with at least two known listeriosis outbreaks in Norway, neither determined to be due to fish consumption. However, since this profile was also found in fish and in the processing environment, fish should be considered as a possible food vehicle during sporadic cases and outbreaks of listeriosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Roof ◽  
Rana Jajou ◽  
Miranda Kamst ◽  
Arnout Mulder ◽  
Albert de Neeling ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) typing method is used to study tuberculosis (TB) transmission. Clustering ofMycobacterium tuberculosisisolates with identical VNTR patterns is assumed to reflect recent transmission. Hence, clusters are thought to be homogeneous regarding antibiotic resistance. In practice, however, heterogeneous clusters are also identified. This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of heterogeneous VNTR clusters and assesses whether isolates in these clusters remain clustered when subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS). In the period from 2004 to 2016, 9,072 isolates were included. Demographic and epidemiological linkage data were obtained from the Netherlands Tuberculosis Register. VNTR clusters were defined as homogeneous when isolates shared identical resistance profiles or as heterogeneous if both susceptible and (variable) resistant isolates were found. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with heterogeneous clustering. Isolates from 2016 were subjected to WGS, and a genetic distance of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was used as the cutoff for WGS clustering. In total, 4,661/9,072 (51%) isolates were clustered into 985 different VNTR clusters, of which 217 (22%) were heterogeneous. Patient characteristics associated with heterogeneous clustering were non-Dutch ethnicity (odds ratio [OR], 1.46 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.22 to 1.75]), asylum seeker (OR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.24 to 1.85]), extrapulmonary TB (OR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.09 to 1.46]), previous TB diagnosis (OR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.04 to 1.82]), and not being a contact of a TB patient (OR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.08 to 1.69]). With WGS, 34% of heterogeneous and 78% of homogeneous isolates from 2016 remained clustered. Heterogeneous VNTR clusters are common but seem to be explained by a substantial degree of false clustering by VNTR typing compared to WGS.


2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 688-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Poulin ◽  
P. Grygiel ◽  
M. Magne ◽  
L. Gagnevin ◽  
L. M. Rodriguez-R ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMultilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) is efficient for routine typing and for investigating the genetic structures of natural microbial populations. Two distinct pathovars ofXanthomonas oryzaecan cause significant crop losses in tropical and temperate rice-growing countries. Bacterial leaf streak is caused byX. oryzaepv. oryzicola, and bacterial leaf blight is caused byX. oryzaepv. oryzae. For the latter, two genetic lineages have been described in the literature. We developed a universal MLVA typing tool both for the identification of the threeX. oryzaegenetic lineages and for epidemiological analyses. Sixteen candidate variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci were selected according to their presence and polymorphism in 10 draft or complete genome sequences of the threeX. oryzaelineages and by VNTR sequencing of a subset of loci of interest in 20 strains per lineage. The MLVA-16 scheme was then applied to 338 strains ofX. oryzaerepresenting different pathovars and geographical locations. Linkage disequilibrium between MLVA loci was calculated by index association on different scales, and the 16 loci showed linear Mantel correlation with MLSA data on 56X. oryzaestrains, suggesting that they provide a good phylogenetic signal. Furthermore, analyses of sets of strains for different lineages indicated the possibility of using the scheme for deeper epidemiological investigation on small spatial scales.


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