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SUMMARYRibosomal RNA gene patterns, randomly amplified polymorphic genomic DNA (RAPD) profiles and plasmid profiles were used to discriminate between 28 strains of Campylobacterjejuni serogroups 01 and 02 (Penner). Most isolates were biotype I (Lior). The strains were representative isolates from a UK school outbreak of enteritis (7 cases) and from 21 sporadic human cases of enteritis in 4 countries. The molecular techniques discriminated to various degrees between strains in each of the serogroups. The outbreak strains were homogeneous in most molecular features but a variety of types was detected amongst the isolates from the sporadic cases. Five groups of two or more strains with identical ribopatterns were identified and within each, strains from different patients were homogenous with respect to serogroup. RAPD profile typing based on numerical analysis generally matched ribotyping. Plasmid profiling overall gave least discrimination but was useful in separating some strains similar in other features. We concluded that optimal discrimination of C. jejuni could best be achieved using a combination of phenotypic and genotypic properties. Hae III ribotyping was the single most discriminatory and reproducible technique investigated. Several strains of C. jejuni from sporadic infections had similar molecular profiles which have potential for general typing purposes.

Diversity based on ribosomal RNA gene-restriction endonuclease digest patterns was detected amongst 42 strains of Campylobacter jejuni and 18 strains of C. coli including representatives of 53 different Penner serotypes. HaeIII ribopatterns were coded for numerical analysis which showed that all except two were different including those of several strains of the same serotype (P2 and P20). At the 30% similarity level, four groupings were formed in the analysis of which three corresponded to C. jejuni, C. coli and C. lari phenotypes respectively. Eight strains (13%) were atypical as their phenotypic and ribopattern associations did not correspond. Ribopattern fragments of 3.0, 5.0 and 9.3 kb were characteristic of the majority of C. jejuni, whereas 1.5, 2.2-, 2.3- and 4.7-kb fragments were commonly present in C. coli. These fragments provided novel species-specific markers. We conclude that HaeIII ribotyping was as discriminatory as Penner serotyping of C. jejuni and C. coli and may even provide a basis for distinguishing between strains of the same serotype and for identifying new groups within the thermophilic campylobacters.

Thirty-two strains of thermophilic campylobacters isolated from marine recreational water and seven reference strains were biotyped and analysed by chromosomal DNA HaeIII ribopatterns and AP-PCR profiles based on a random 10-mer primer (5'-CAA TCG CCG T-3'). The majority of seawater isolates (90%) were Campylobacter coli, and three strains were Camp. jejuni. Southern blot hybridization analysis showed differences between the strains, and in a numerical analysis three main clusters were formed at the 45% similarity level, that corresponded to Camp. jejuni subsp. jejuni, Camp. coli, and a combination of Camp. coli and Camp. jejuni subsp. doylei. AP-PCR profiles also differentiated between the species but were less discriminatory than ribotyping because six strains (17%) could not be typed by this method. Numerical analysis gave four main clusters at the 45% similarity level, corresponding to Camp. jejuni subsp. jejuni, Camp. coli (two clusters) and Camp. lari. The study shows that strains within each species are diverse genomically. Both molecular methods were highly discriminatory, although some strains with identical ribotypes could be distinguished by AP-PCR, and they are valuable new alternatives to traditional typing in epidemiological studies of environmental campylobacters.