Characterisation of Danish isolates of Listeria monocytogenes by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis

Abstract

A total of 84 strains of Listeria monocytogenes were analysed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis at twelve enzyme loci. Eight enzyme loci were polymorphic with between 2 and 4 alleles per locus. Fourteen electrophoretic types (ETs) were identified. Among 62 human clinical isolates from Denmark, 8 different ETs were defined. Two ETs, designated ET 1 and ET 6, accounted for 77% of the human clinical isolates investigated. These ETs are identical with those responsible for several epidemics in Switzerland and in the United States. Comparison of 58 isolates of L. monocytogenes, typed by MEE, in relation to phage typing showed that phage typing was more discriminatory than MEE. The ability of MEE to distinguish between phage types of Epi-type and other phage types, however, was almost optimal. MEE typed 23 of 24 strains of Epi-type as belonging to ET 1. In contrast ET 1 was not found in 26 strains with phage types other than the Epi-type.