Genetic Relatedness and Clonal Similarities of Vibrio Cholerae from Clinical and Environmental Sources in Bayelsa and Rivers States using Mbo I and Alu I Digestion of 16S rDNAs

Abstract:

This study entails the use of DNA fingerprinting procedure to determine the genetic relatedness and clonal relationship of clinical and environmental strains of Vibrio cholerae from clinical and environmental sources in Bayelsa and Rivers States. A total of forty (40) clinical and environmental (fresh water, brackish and seafood) were selected for DNA fingerprint. Chromosomal DNA was isolated using phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol protocol, this was followed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) probe for 16S rDNA. The PCR products of 16S rDNA sequence was digestion with two restriction endonucleases Mbo I and Alu I. The electrophoresis gel image produced was used to construct similarity matrix index showing clonal relatedness of strains and the genetic tree was constructed to determine the clustering patterns among strains. The electrophoretic gel image of Mbo I restriction endonuclease digestion of 16S rDNA revealed 50-100% genetic homology with three (3) distinct DNA fingerprinting patterns and the genetic tree analysis revealed four (4) clusters of strains while Alu I digestion showed ten (10) distinct clustering patterns, the similarity matrix index of clonal relatedness ranged from 33.33-100% and ten (10) distinct clustering patterns from the genetic tree analysis. Many of the clinical strains from the same localities clustered 100% in genetic homology to fresh water strains which implies the source of infection.