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rRNA gene RFLP as an identification tool for Corynebacterium species

Johanna Björkroth^1,, Hannu Korkeala¹ and Guido Funke²

¹ Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, University of Helsinki, PO Box 57, 00014 Helsinki University, Finland
² Department of Medical Microbiology, Gärtner & Colleagues Laboratories, D-88250 Weingarten, Germany

Author for correspondence: Johanna Björkroth. Tel: +358 9 7084 9705. Fax: +358 9 7084 9718. e-mail: johanna.bjorkroth{at}helsinki.fi

ABSTRACT

The value of rRNA gene RFLP analysis (ribotyping) as a tool for Corynebacterium and Turicella species identification was evaluateed. Seventy-four strains representing 26 different species or subspecies were analysed by BstEll, Smal and Sphl ribotyping. Numerical analysis of the resulting rDNA banding patterns was performed by Dice coefficient correlation in order to establish a database for species identification. In general, most of the strains belonging to the same species clustered together. Interestingly, BstEll clustering of many species followed known phylogenetic lineages. This was not evident with the more heterogeneous Smal and Sphl patterns. The Smal patterns contained a 1800 bp band in the digests of all species studied with the exception of Corynebacterium urealyticum. Sphl digestion resulted in the most heterogeneous patterns. The information provided by all three enzymes was considered essential for the reliable linking of starins of unknown identity with defined species in the database. It is concluded that ribotyping provides an useful tool for screening and charactrization of potentially new Corynebacterium species.

Key Words: Corynebacterium • rRNA gene restriction patterns • ribotyping • identification • taxonomy

Present address: Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Institute for Hygiene and Toxicology, Haid- und Neustraße 9, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.

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