Direct and indirect methods of determining DNA nucleotide sequences in microorganisms

Abstract

Typing of bacterial populations and identification of microorganisms are the overriding priorities in the field of prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections. Over the recent two decades rapidly developing approaches to molecular typing of bacterial populations have become an essential tool for the mentioned task. The information encoded in nucleic acids is more complete as compared to other characteristics of an organism. It can be obtained by either direct determination of genome sequences or by using a variety of techniques, that allow to indirectly assess the nucleotide composition in a representative genome locus of a microorganism under study. The article provides an overview of the literature data on direct and indirect methods of determining nucleotide composition of DNA sequences in microorganisms (multiple locus sequence typing, multiple sequeneed sites typing, denaturing gel electrophoresis, high-sensitivity melting curve analysis, DNA macro(micro)arrays)