Typing of nitrogen-fixing Frankia strains by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry

Dittmar Hahn; Babur Mirza; Cinzia Benagli; Guido Vogel; Mauro Tonolla

doi:10.1016/j.syapm.2010.11.009

Typing of nitrogen-fixing Frankia strains by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry

Syst Appl Microbiol. 2011 Feb;34(1):63-8. doi: 10.1016/j.syapm.2010.11.009. Epub 2011 Jan 15.

Authors

Dittmar Hahn¹, Babur Mirza, Cinzia Benagli, Guido Vogel, Mauro Tonolla

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA. dh49@txstate.edu

PMID: 21242047
DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2010.11.009

Abstract

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) was evaluated as a technique to characterize strains of the nitrogen-fixing actinomycete Frankia. MALDI-TOF MS reliably distinguished 37 isolates within the genus Frankia and assigned them to their respective host infection groups, i.e., the Alnus/Casuarina and the Elaeagnus host infection groups. The assignment of individual strains to sub-groups within the respective host infection groups was consistent with classification based on comparative sequence analysis of nifH gene fragments, confirming the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS as a rapid and reliable tool for the characterization of Frankia strains.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Bacterial Typing Techniques / methods*
Frankia / chemistry*
Frankia / classification*
Frankia / genetics
Molecular Typing
Phylogeny
Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / methods*