Using three reference strains of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae (B204, B234, B169), one B. pilosicoli (P43/6/78), one B. murdochii (56-150), one B. intermedia (PWS/A), one B. innocens (B256) and ten Korean isolates, PCR-RFLP analysis of DNA encoding 23S rRNA was performed to establish a rapid and accurate method for characterizing porcine intestinal spirochetes. Consequently, B. hyodysenteriae and B. pilosicoli revealed different restriction patterns; however, the other three species shared the same pattern. These findings are not consistent with a prior report. Differences in 23S rRNA gene sequences, between two B. murdochii strains, 56-150 and 155-20, were observed. These results indicate that 23S rRNA PCR-RFLP could be used as an identification method for pathogenic Brachyspira spp. (B. hyodysenteriae and B. pilosicoli) as well as an epidemiological tool for characterizing spirochetes isolated from swine.
Animals ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Dysentery, Bacillary/diagnosis/microbiology/*veterinary ; Korea ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods/*veterinary ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; RNA, Ribosomal, 23S/chemistry/*genetics ; Spirochaetales/*genetics/*isolation&purification ; Spirochaetales Infections/diagnosis/microbiology/*veterinary ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/diagnosis/*microbiology