Classification ofClostridium butyricumBased on Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis and Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis

Abstract

Eleven strains ofClostridium butyricumcollected from different sources were analysed by both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The strains could be classified into four groups based on their banding profiles of the proteins extracted from the cells on SDS-PAGE. Group I consisted of seven strains, and these strains were further divided into five subgroups by PFGE. The strains belonging to groups II, III, and IV on SDS-PAGE were also classified into the same II to IV groups by PFGE. These data indicate that grouping of the strains ofC. butyricumcan be performed by employing both SDS-PAGE and PFGE.