Heterogeneity of human intestinal spirochaetes demonstrated by one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins visualised by 35S-methionine labelling and Coomassie Blue staining

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 6 - 9
• Main Authors: BARRETT, S. P, HOLTON, J. J. M, HOOKEY, J. V, COSTAS, M, GANNER, M, MUNDY, R, WRIGHT, D. J. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Soc General Microbiol 01.07.1996
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/00222615-45-1-6

Departments of Medical Microbiology, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG University College London Medical School, 67-73 Riding House Street, London W1P 7PN Virus Reference Division National Collection of Type Cultures, Central Public Health Laboratory, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT Department of Medical Microbiology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, Charing Cross Hospital, St Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RP Corresponding author: Dr. S. P. Barrett. Received October 1, 1995 Accepted November 15, 1995 The relatedness of strains of a human intestinal spirochaete was investigated by comparison of electrophoretic protein profiles produced by Coomassie Blue staining of proteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of lysed organisms and by examination of autoradiographs following PAGE of lysed 35 S-methionine-labelled organisms. A wide diversity of strains was revealed by both techniques but clustering of strains was different by the two methods. These findings support the view that the human intestinal spirochaetes comprise a group of bacteria of considerable heterogeneity.