Ribosomal RNA gene restriction fragment diversity amongst Penner serotypes of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.

Diversity based on ribosomal RNA gene-restriction endonuclease digest patterns was detected amongst forty-seven strains of Campylobacter made up of 38 strains of Campylobacter jejuni and 9 strains of Campylobacter coli. Restriction digests of chromosomal DNA prepared by treating with Hae III were probed with an oligonucleotide specific for Campylobacter 16S ribosomal RNA genes. Seventeen distinct hybridization patterns, each indicating the presence of 2-4 copies of the 16S rRNA gene are encoded in Campylobacter DNA. Differences in fragment patterns were observed not only between members of two species, but also between individual strains of the same species. Ribopattern fragments of 8.71, 7.56, 2.81 and 1.0 kb were characteristic of the majority of C. jejuni, whereas 7.59 and 4.68 kb fragments were commonly present in C. coli. In conclusion, Hae III ribotyping was even more discriminatory than the Penner serotyping of C. jejuni and C. coli, as strains of the same serotype were distinguished.