Identification of a gene encoding a methyl‐accepting chemotaxis‐like protein from Campylobacter coli and its use in a molecular typing scheme for campylobacters

• Published in: Journal of applied microbiology 1998-08, Vol.85 (2), p.317-326
• Main Authors: GONZALEZ, I, RICHARDSON, P. T, COLLINS, M. D, PARK, S. F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Biology of microorganisms of confirmed or potential industrial interest; Biotechnology; Campylobacter coli; Campylobacter jejuni; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mission oriented research
• ISSN: 1364-5072; 1365-2672
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2672.1998.00510.x

Using PCR amplification with degenerate primers, a gene (tlpA) from Campylobacter coli encoding a putative 63·0 kDa polypeptide which exhibited significant identity with bacterial methyl‐accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) was identified. A mutant containing an inactivated copy of the tlpA gene showed a wild‐type chemotactic response to all of the chemo‐attractants tested. A DNA probe based on the Highly Conserved Domain (HCD) of TlpA revealed the presence of multiple copies of genes encoding MCP‐like proteins in both Camp. coli and Camp. jejuni. The arrangement of restriction sites within, and proximal to, genes with homology to the HCD probe varied among strains, resulting in a high degree of polymorphism. It is demonstrated here that a DNA probe comprising the HCD region of MCP‐like proteins can be used, in Southern hybridization‐based assays, to provide novel information which allows the discrimination of individual strains of Camp. coli and Camp. jejuni.