Usefulness of omp1 restriction mapping for avian Chlamydia psittaci isolate differentiation

Abstract Sixty-five avian Chlamydia psittaci isolates collected worldwide, including 27 previously characterized reference strains, were analysed by restriction mapping of the major outer membrane protein gene ( omp1 ) obtained after DMA amplification by PCR. They were compared to 2 ruminant isolates, a feline pneumonitis and a guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis (GPIC) isolate. According to their omp1 restriction patterns, avian strains were heterogeneous in that they exhibited 6 and 4 distinct patterns using Alu I and Mbo II restriction enzymes, respectively, thus defining 7 groups. However, 84% of the studied strains belonged to groups 1 to 4, which share a specific fragment triplet of 4…