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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, July 2003, p. 2952-2960, Vol. 41, No. 7
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.7.2952-2960.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Differentiation of Rickettsiae by groEL Gene Analysis

Department of Microbiology,¹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungchongbuk-Do 380-701,² Department of Microbiology, National Institute of Health, Seoul 122-701,³ Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chunchon, Kangwon-Do 200-702,⁴ Department of Microbiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea⁵

Received 26 December 2002/ Returned for modification 12 March 2003/ Accepted 16 April 2003

The nucleotide sequences (534 to 546 bp) of the groEL gene, which encodes the 60-kDa heat shock protein GroEL, from 15 rickettsial strains were determined and compared. In the phylogenetic tree created by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages and the neighbor-joining method, rickettsial strains could be distinguished from Ehrlichia strains. Five spotted fever group strains, four typhus group strains, and six scrub typhus group (STG) strains were differentiated as distinct entities. Unlike gltA and ompA gene analyses, differentiation between members of the genus Rickettsia and the STG rickettsiae by groEL gene analysis was possible. In comparison with 16S rRNA gene analysis, the groEL gene has a higher degree of divergence among the rickettsiae. We therefore successfully developed rapid differentiation methods, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and a species-specific PCR, based on the groEL gene sequences. Four Korean isolates were identified by these methods and groEL gene analysis. The results suggest that the groEL gene is useful for the identification and characterization of rickettsiae.

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