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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2004, p. 4931-4936, Vol. 42, No. 11
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.11.4931-4936.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Microsatellite Mapping of Mycobacterium leprae Populations in Infected Humans

Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,¹ Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom,² LEPRA India Blue Peter Research Centre, Hyderabad, India³

Received 4 May 2004/ Returned for modification 23 June 2004/ Accepted 8 July 2004

To investigate genetic diversity in a bacterial population, we measured the copy numbers of simple sequence repeats, or microsatellites, in Mycobacterium leprae from patients living in and around Hyderabad, India. Three microsatellite loci containing trinucleotide or dinucleotide repeats were amplified from infected tissues, and the copy numbers were established by sequence analysis. Extensive diversity was observed in a cross-sectional survey of 33 patients, but closely related profiles were found for members of a multicase family likely to share a common transmission source. Sampling of multiple tissues from single individuals demonstrated identical microsatellite profiles in the skin, nasal cavity, and bloodstream but revealed differences at one or more loci for M. leprae present in nerves. Microsatellite mapping of M. leprae represents a useful tool for tracking short transmission chains. Comparison of skin and nerve lesions suggests that the evolution of disease within an individual involves the expansion of multiple distinct subpopulations of M. leprae.

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