Dataset Information

Subtyping of a large collection of historical Listeria monocytogenes strains from Ontario, Canada, by an improved multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA).

ABSTRACT: Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for severe and often fatal food-borne infections in humans. A collection of 2,421 L. monocytogenes isolates 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 persistent L. monocytogenes MLVA 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 2,421 L. monocytogenes isolates, 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 of L. monocytogenes and investigation of outbreaks.

SUBMITTER: Saleh-Lakha S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3811218 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Subtyping of a large collection of historical Listeria monocytogenes strains from Ontario, Canada, by an improved multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA).

Saleh-Lakha S S Allen V G VG Li J J Pagotto F F Odumeru J J Taboada E E Lombos M M Tabing K C KC Blais B B Ogunremi D D Downing G G Lee S S Gao A A Nadon C C Chen S S

Applied and environmental microbiology 20130816 20

Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for severe and often fatal food-borne infections in humans. A collection of 2,421 L. monocytogenes isolates 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 f ...[more]

PMID: 23956391

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Project description:The ability to differentiate bacteria beyond the species level is essential for identifying and tracking infectious disease outbreaks and to improve our knowledge of the population genetics, epidemiology, and ecology of bacterial pathogens. Commonly used subtyping methods, such as serotyping, phage typing, ribotyping, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, can yield ambiguous results that are difficult to standardize and share among laboratories. DNA sequence-based subtyping strategies can reduce interpretation ambiguity. We report the development of a rational approach for designing sequence-based subtyping methods. Listeria monocytogenes was selected as the model organism for testing the efficacy of this approach. Two housekeeping genes (recA and prs), one stress response gene (sigB), two virulence genes (actA and inlA), and two intergenic regions (hly-mpl and plcA-hly) were sequenced for 15 L. monocytogenes isolates. Isolates were chosen from a representative collection of more than 1,000 L. monocytogenes isolates to reflect the genetic diversity of this species. DNA sequences were aligned, and sliding window analyses were performed for each gene to define 600-bp-long regions that were (i) most polymorphic (using ProSeq) or (ii) most discriminatory (using a new algorithm implemented in WINDOWMIN). Complete gene sequences for actA (1,929 bp) and inlA (2,235 bp) provided the highest discrimination (identifying 15 and 14 allelic types, respectively). WINDOWMIN allowed identification of 600-bp regions within these genes that provided similar discriminatory power (yielding 15 and 13 allelic types, respectively). The most discriminatory 600-bp fragments identified in the housekeeping and stress response genes differentiated the isolates into 8 to 10 subtypes; intergenic region sequences yielded 8 and 12 allelic types based on 335- and 242-bp sequences for hly-mpl and plcA-hly, respectively. Regions identified as most polymorphic were not necessarily most discriminatory; therefore, application of the WINDOWMIN algorithm provided a powerful tool for determining the best target regions for DNA sequence-based subtyping. Our specific results also show that inclusion of virulence gene target sequences in a DNA sequence-based subtyping scheme for L. monocytogenes is necessary to achieve maximum subtype differentiation.

Dataset Information

Subtyping of a large collection of historical Listeria monocytogenes strains from Ontario, Canada, by an improved multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA).

Publications

Subtyping of a large collection of historical Listeria monocytogenes strains from Ontario, Canada, by an improved multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA).

Similar Datasets

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