Identification of Streptococci to Species Level by Sequencing the Gene Encoding the Manganese-Dependent Superoxide Dismutase

Abstract

ABSTRACT We have used a PCR assay based on the use of degenerate primers in order to characterize an internal fragment ( sodA int ) representing approximately 85% of the genes encoding the manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase in various streptococcal type strains ( S. acidominimus , S. agalactiae , S. alactolyticus , S. anginosus , S. bovis , S. constellatus , S. canis , S. cricetus , S. downei , S. dysgalactiae , S. equi subsp. equi , S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus , S. equinus , S. gordonii , S. iniae , S. intermedius , S. mitis , S. mutans , S. oralis , S. parasanguis , S. pneumoniae , S. porcinus , S. pyogenes , S. salivarius , S. sanguis , S. sobrinus , S. suis , S. thermophilus , and S. vestibularis ). Phylogenetic analysis of these sodA int fragments yields an evolutionary tree having a topology similar to that of the tree constructed with the 16S rRNA sequences. We have shown that clinical isolates could be identified by determining the positions of their sodA int fragments on the phylogenetic tree of the sodA int fragments of the type species. We propose this method for the characterization of strains that cannot be assigned to a species on the basis of their conventional phenotypic reactions.