Fifty-three Nocardia strains were the subject of a restriction polymorphic ribosomal RNA analysis (ribotyping) designed to distinguish between representatives of clinically significant species and related strains. | Turk J Biol 34 (2010) 355-365 © TÜBİTAK doi: Molecular fingerprinting of some clinically significant Nocardia and related strains by restriction polymorphism ribosomal RNA analyses Kamil IŞIK1, Michael GOODFELLOW2 1Department of Biology, Science and Arts Faculty, Ondokuz Mayıs University, 55139 Kurupelit, Samsun - TURKEY 2School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK Received: Abstract: Fifty-three Nocardia strains were the subject of a restriction polymorphic ribosomal RNA analysis (ribotyping) designed to distinguish between representatives of clinically significant species and related strains. The organisms were assigned to 19 groups using a combination of EcoRV gene restriction endonuclease patterns and a digoxigenin-labelled Streptomyces violaceoruber TK21 rDNA probe. Each ribotype group contained 4 to 13 restriction fragments that ranged in size from to kb. The N. brasiliensis, N. crassostreae, N. farcinica, N. otitidiscaviarum, and N. seriolea strains showed distinct ribotype patterns. Unique banding patterns were also seen for the type strains of N. brevicatena, N. carnea, N. salmonicida, N. uniformis, and N. vaccinii, and for the single representatives of “N. fusca”, “N. pseudosporangifera”, and “N. violaceofusca”. More than one banding pattern was detected for the N. asteroides, N. flavorosea, N. nova, N. pseudobrasiliensis, and N. transvalensis strains. The results are in line with current trends in nocardial systematics thereby indicating that restriction polymorphism ribosomal RNA analyses provide valuable data for the classification and identification of novel and pathogenic nocardiae at the species level. Key words: Nocardia, ribotyping, taxonomy Klinik önemli bazı Nocardia ve ilgili suşların restriksiyon polimorfik ribozomal RNA analiz yöntemiyle moleküler parmakizleri Özet: Klinik açıdan önemli olan toplamda 53 Nocardia örneğini ve ilgili suşları birbirinden ayırt etmek için
