Identifying Leptospira sp. strains in Viet Nam by molecular biology method

Abstract

The National Central for Veterinary Medicine Control No.1 is currently preserving 6 Leptospira strains for research, vaccine production, diagnostic and other purposes. Until now, however, no study on molecular characteristics of these strains have been conducted. In this study, molecular
characteristics of the six strains of spirochetes were evaluated, basing on sequencing and analyzing three genes: OmpL1, LipL21 and LipL32. The result of genotypic and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all 6 Leptospira strains belonged to Leptospira interrogans species, including six serovar L. bataviae, L. canicola, L. mitis, L. pomona, L. grippotyphosa and L. icterohaemorrhgiae. All 6 Leptospira
strains kept at the National Central for Veterinary Medicine Control No.1 carried 3 genes that regulate the important virulence factors and antigens, including OmpL1, LipL21 and LipL322