PCR Typing of Mycobacterium ulcerans Lineages Based on Large Sequence Polymorphisms

Genetic fine typing of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of the neglected tropical disease Buruli ulcer, has long been hampered by the remarkable genetic homogeneity of patient isolates. However, large sequence polymorphisms (LSPs), mainly originating from insertional-deletional genomic events, allow the differentiation between major lineages of M. ulcerans and other mycolactone producing mycobacteria (MPMs). Here, we describe an LSP-based rapid PCR typing scheme for these mycobacteria. Application of this approach to a selection of mycobacterial strains isolated from Buruli ulcer patients in Japan shows that they belong to the M. ulcerans Asian haplotype.