Repetitive sequences cloned from Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo genotype hardjoprajitno and their application to serovar identification

We selected, from a genomic library of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo genotype hardjoprajitno, two probes containing repetitive sequences (pL1 and pL590). The hybridization patterns of these probes to DNA isolated from a variety of Leptospira serovars were examined and their ability to detect subtle differences at the genomic organization level was established. We identified the DNA fragments within pL1 and pL590 which are sufficient to yield polymorphic hybridization patterns; these results define the upper size limit of two novel repetitive elements in the Leptospira genome. The pattern and degree of hybridization observed for the serovars tested in this work were used to divide Leptospira spp. into groups which share genetic relatedness; our conclusions are consistent with previous classifications by other authors.