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Reclassification of Leptospira meyeri serovar Perameles to Leptospira interrogans serovar Perameles through serological and molecular analysis: evidence of a need for changes to current procedures in Leptospira taxonomy

Andrew T. Slack^1,, Renee L. Galloway^2,, Meegan L. Symonds¹, Michael F. Dohnt¹ and Lee D. Smythe¹

¹ WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Australia and Western Pacific Region, Communicable Diseases, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia
² Bacterial Zoonoses Branch, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

Correspondence
Lee D. Smythe
Lee_Smythe{at}health.qld.gov.au

It has been recognized that there is heterogeneity among Leptospira isolates in culture collections worldwide, causing confounding results for researchers utilizing these organisms; one such culture is Leptospira meyeri serovar Perameles. The serovar reference strain Bandicoot 343 was previously identified to the species level by DNA–DNA hybridization; however, subsequent published studies demonstrated results that contradicted the initial speciation. In this study, initial serological testing was performed with isolates from the culture collections of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta, USA (strain Lepto0214), and the WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, Brisbane, Australia (strain Bandicoot 343), and the original serovar Perameles hyperimmune antiserum produced in 1964. The results indicated that strain Lepto0214 was not serologically reactive to the antiserum. However, further investigations revealed an alternative serovar Perameles strain held in the CDC collection (Lepto0213) that yielded titres against the antiserum. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the three strains revealed that Lepto0214 had significant sequence similarity with previously sequenced L. meyeri strains; however, strains Lepto0213 and Bandicoot 343 had significant similarity with Leptospira interrogans strains. 16S rRNA gene sequencing results were confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; Lepto0214 had a pattern similar to that of L. meyeri serovar Hardjo strain Went 5, and the pattern differed significantly from those of Lepto0213 and Bandicoot 343. This research provides evidence for the reclassification of serovar Perameles from L. meyeri to L. interrogans. This reclassification highlights a need for changes to how reference Leptospira serovars are identified, disseminated and stored, with the aim of reducing heterogeneity of reference strains between culture collections.

These authors contributed equally to this work.

The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences of L. interrogans serovar Perameles strain Bandicoot 343 and the 16S rRNA gene sequences of L. interrogans strain Lepto0213 and L. meyeri strain Lepto0214 are AB368964–AB368967, respectively.

A 16S rRNA gene sequence alignment and a neighbour-joining tree based on the alignment are available as supplementary material with the online version of this paper.