Molecular Typing of the UropathogenicProteus mirabilisby using ERIC-PCR, RAPD-PCR, and PCR Detection of rbsA, ureC, and zapAVirulenceGenes

Abstract

The current work addresses the molecular profiling of ten clinical strains isolated from patients withurinary tract infections (UTIs) using three molecular typing tools: ERIC1b-PCR, RAPD640-PCR, and PCR detection of the three virulence genes rbsA, ureC, and zapA.Tenuropathogen clinical strains were isolated from patients with confirmed UTIs after culturing of urine samples on blood agar and trypticase soybean agar according to the colonial andcell morphological features. Results of VITEK2 system, positive catalase test, negative oxidase test, positive urease test, characteristic swarming, and distinctive fishy odorverified that all tenuropathogen clinical strains under investigation were affiliated to Proteusmirabilis. ERIC1b-PCR and RAPD 640-PCR could discriminate the ten strains into three groups and six groups (clades), respectively according to the DNA banding pattern specific to each profile.The frequency of occurrence of the three virulence genes rbsA, ureC, and zapA in all P.mirabilis strains under investigation was 100% as deduced from the obtained banding pattern of PCR partial amplification with 467, 533, and 350bp, respectively using gene specific primers. The present data would underpin the use of RAPD640-PCR for powerful discrimination of P.mirabilis clinical strains.