MOLECULAR SUBTYPING BY GENOME AND PLASMID ANALYSIS OF CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI SEROGROUPS O1 AND O2 (PENNER) FROM SPORADIC AND OUTBREAK CASES OF HUMAN DIARRHEA

Ribosomal RNA gene patterns, randomly amplified polymorphic genomic DNA (RAPD) profiles and plasmid profiles were used to discriminate between 28 strains of Campylobacter jejuni serogroups O1 and O2 (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.