Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of Bacillus thuringiensis from root voles

The root voles intestinal strains of Bacillus thuringiensis, were characterised by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). For 14 isolates, three pulsotypes were found, with the use of SmaI or NotI as restriction enzymes. Strains in each pulsotypes presented identical DNA patterns, indicating that the population structure of B. thuringiensis from root voles is clonal. The similarities in banding patterns were estimated at 56% and 33% for SmaI and NotI digests, respectively. The strains under study differed significantly in the size of their entire genome, which varied between 2.4 and 4.2 Mb. No significant differences were detected among the isolates subjected to biochemical properties determined by API tests. Present study showed that genomic diversity is a common feature of B. thuringiensis originating from one ecological niche. PFGE appears to be a useful technique for use in studies on the spread of B. thuringiensis in the environment.