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Biomedical subjects

Matthew A Diggle

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew A Diggle.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Multilocus sequence typing: Data analysis in clinical microbiology and public health.

Numerous computer-based statistical packages have been developed in recent years and it has become easier to analyze nucleotide sequence data and gather subsequent information that would not normally be available. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) is used for characterizing isolates of bacterial and fungal species and uses nucleotide sequences of internal fragments of housekeeping genes. This method is finding a place in clinical microbiology and public health by providing data for epidemiological surveillance and development of vaccine policy. It adds greatly to our knowledge of the genetic variation that can occur within a species and has therefore been used for studies of population biology. Analysis requires the detailed interpretation of nucleotide sequence data obtained from housekeeping and nonhousekeeping genes. This is due to the amount of data generated from nucleotide sequencing and the information generated from an array of analytical tools improves our understanding of bacterial pathogens. This can benefit public health interventions and the development of enhanced therapies and vaccines. This review concentrates on the analytical tools used in MLST and their use in the clinical microbiology and public health fields.

Bacteria↗

Pyrosequencing: sequence typing at the speed of light.

Nucleotide sequencing is an established method for gaining information relating to partial gene, whole gene, or whole genome sequence. Here we describe some of the background leading to the advent of modern nucleotide sequencing and how it has led to the development of Pyrosequencing, a relatively new method for real-time nucleotide sequencing. In particular, we describe how this method can be used for typing bacterial pathogens.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

Genotypic characterization of Neisseria meningitidis using Pyrosequencing.

Pyrosequencing involves the synthesis of single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid leading to rapid and accurate analysis of nucleotide sequences. This article describes the development of typing assays for the characterization of Neisseria meningitidis using Pyrosequencing. This involved developing methods for the nucleotide sequence analysis of important variable regions contained on a major capsule gene and on outer membrane protein genes that are used for grouping, typing, and subtyping meningococci. To achieve this, primers were designed for amplification of three genes, siaD, porB, and porA from the four main serogroups B, C, Y, and W135. To facilitate throughput and reproducibility, the method was also automated. Data from 717 isolates have shown that Pyrosequencing can be used for the single nucleotide polymorphism and sequence-analysis characterization of meningococci.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

A novel method for preparing single-stranded DNA for pyrosequencing.

Pyrosequencing technology is a powerful genotyping tool that requires the generation of single stranded DNA. Currently, two simple, solid-phase-based methods are available for this, but they require special equipment, they are not automated, and they are relatively expensive because of the need for biotinylated polymerase chain reaction primers. In this article, an enzymatic liquid-phase method for the generation of high-quality, single-stranded DNA, and its novel use for Pyrosequencing are described. The method has also been fully automated.

Algorithms↗