Genetic relationships among the oral streptococci.

Genetic relationships and species limits among the oral streptococci were determined by an analysis of electrophoretically demonstrable variation in 16 metabolic enzymes. Fifty isolates represented 40 electrophoretic types, among which the mean genetic diversity per locus was 0.857. Mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase was not detected in isolates of the sanguis species complex, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were absent in species of the mutans complex. Clustering from a matrix of Gower's coefficient of genetic similarity placed the 40 electrophoretic types in 10 well-defined groups corresponding to the Streptococcus species S. mutans, S. sobrinus, S. cricetus, S. rattus, S. ferus, S. oralis (mitior), two distinct assemblages of S. sanguis strains, and two subdivisions of "S. milleri." The assignments of isolates to these groups were the same as those indicated by DNA hybridization experiments, and the coefficient of correlation between genetic distance estimated by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and genetic similarity indexed by DNA hybridization was -0.897 (P less than 0.001) for 50 pairwise combinations of isolates. S. ferus, which is widely believed to be a member of the mutans complex, was shown to be phylogenetically closer to species of the sanguis complex.     

核盘菌可溶性蛋白质及同工酶电泳研究*

为了研究核盘菌的分类和生理分化问题,对供试的28个核盘菌株进行了可溶性蛋白质,芳香基酯酶和酸性磷酸酯酶同工酶电泳谱带以及紫外光吸收峰图形的试验研究,其结果,可分为五种类型。其中属于核盘菌属有四个种,即核盘菌Sclerotinia sclerotiorum(Lib.)de Bary(=Whetzelinia sclerotiorum(Lib.)Korf & Dumont),三叶草核盘菌S.trifoliorum Erikss.,细辛核盘菌(S.asari Wu et C.R.Wang和人参菌核病菌Sclerotinia sp。人参菌核病的另一分离菌和油菜菌核病的一个分离菌其谱带与灰葡萄孢(Botrytis cinerea)谱带相似,应归属于与葡萄孢属(Botrytis)相应的核盘菌。在核盘菌S.sclerotiorum种群中,南方菌系与北方菌系的可溶性蛋白质稍有差异,芳香基酯酶和酸性磷酸酯酶活性强度也稍有不同,可能存在生理分化现象。     

核盘菌可溶性蛋白质及同工酶电泳研究

为了研究核盘菌的分类和生理分化问题,对供试的28个核盘菌株进行了可溶性蛋白质,芳香基酯酶和酸性磷酸酯酶同工酶电泳谱带以及紫外光吸收峰图形的试验研究,其结果,可分为五种类型。其中属于核盘菌属有四个种,即核盘菌Sclerotinia sclerotiorum(Lib.)de Bary(=Whetzelinia sclerotiorum(Lib.)Korf & Dumont),三叶草核盘菌S.trifoliorum Erikss.,细辛核盘菌(S.asari Wu et C.R.Wang和人参菌核病菌Sclerotinia sp。人参菌核病的另一分离菌和油菜菌核病的一个分离菌其谱带与灰葡萄孢(Botrytis cinerea)谱带相似,应归属于与葡萄孢属(Botrytis)相应的核盘菌。在核盘菌S.sclerotiorum种群中,南方菌系与北方菌系的可溶性蛋白质稍有差异,芳香基酯酶和酸性磷酸酯酶活性强度也稍有不同,可能存在生理分化现象。     

Electrophoretic and immunological analysis of lipopolysaccharides of Xanthomonas albilineans from three geographical regions

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were extracted from the type species of the sugarcane leaf scald pathogen Xanthomonas albilineans from Fiji and additional isolates from Australia, Mauritius and South Africa. After resolution by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the LPS were visualized using a modified silver staining method and analysed by densitometric scanning. Three distinct electrophoretic patterns were identified: the LPS pattern of the Fijian isolate differed from those of the other isolates. Immunological cross-reactivity of the LPS and gamma globulins was assessed by immunoblotting. Immunoblotting showed that although IgG raised against other isolates cross-reacted with the LPS of one another, they did not react with the purified LPS of the Fijian isolate. Differences in LPS patterns and serological cross-reactivity may be due to differences in the length and conformation of the O-polysaccharide chains of the LPS.     

Isozyme patterns of Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni

Isozyme patterns of six enzymes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucosephosphate isomerase, hexokinase, malate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase were examined in electrophoresed homogenates of adult male worms of Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni. In general, enzyme patterns obtained from the parasite homogenates differed from that of host (mouse) blood and muscle, indicating that electrophoretic patterns from parasite extracts are most probably of parasite origin. Adult male and female S. mansoni worms yielded identical patterns. However, all six enzyme patterns showed distinct differences between S. japonicum and S. mansoni. These results suggest that S. japonicum is clearly distinguishable from S. mansoni at the molecular level.     

Genetic diversity of rhizobia from Leucaena leucocephala nodules in Mexican soils

Leucaena species are leguminous plants native to Mexico. Using two L. leucocephala cultivars grown in different soils, we obtained 150 isolates from the nodules. Twelve rDNA types were identified which clustered into groups corresponding to Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium , and Sinorhizobium by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of amplified 16S rRNA genes. Types 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 12 were distinct from all the defined species. Others had patterns indistinguishable from some recognized species. Most of the isolates corresponded to Sinorhizobium . Forty-one electrophoretic types (ETs) were identified among the isolates based on the different combinations of electrophoretic patterns of 13 metabolic enzymes. ETs were clustered into groups in general agreement with the rDNA types. Diverse plasmid patterns were obtained among the isolates, but common plasmids were observed among most isolates within rDNA types 5, 10, and 11. The symbiotic plasmids were identified among most of the isolates, except for the Mesorhizobium isolates. The affinities of host cultivars for different rhizobial groups and the impact of soil cultivation on the soil populations of rhizobia were analysed from the estimation of isolation frequencies and diversity. The results showed differences in rhizobial populations in cultivated and uncultivated soils and also differences in rhizobia trapped by L. leucocephala cv. Cunningham or Peruvian.     

Studies on enzyme variation in the murine malaria parasites Plasmodium berghei, P. yoelii, P. vinckei and P. chabaudi by starch gel electrophoresis.

Electrophoretic variation of the enzymes glucose phosphate isomerase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-dependent) has been studied in the African murine malaria parasites Plasmodium berghei, P. yoelii, P. vinckei and P. chabaudi and their subspecies. Horizontal starch gel electrophoresis was used throughout. The number of isolates examined in each subspecies varied from 1 (P. y. nigeriensis) to 24 (P. c. chabaudi). Extensive enzyme variation was found among isolates of most of the subspecies from which more than two such isolates were available for study. It is clear that the phenomenon of enzyme polymorphism is of common occurrence among malaria parasites. With the exception of P. berghei and P. yoelii, of which all isolates share an identical electrophoretic form of lactate dehydrogenase, no enzyme forms are shared between any of the 4 species of murine plasmodia. By contrast, within each species common enzyme forms are shared among each of the subspecies. The subspecies are nevertheless, distinguished from each other by the electrophoretic forms of at least one enzyme. The distribution and reassortment of enzyme variation among isolates of a single subspecies is in accordance with the concept of malaria parasites as sexually reproducing organisms. The study of variation among parasites present in individual wild-caught rodent hosts demonstrates that natural malarial infections usually comprise genetically heterogeneous populations of parasites. Nevertheless, the number of genetically distinct types of parasite of any one species present in a single infected host appears to be small. Generally not more than 2 or 3 clones of parasite of distinct genetic constitution are present in a single infected animal.     

Mating type, nuclear DNA content and isozyme analysis of egyptian isolates ofPhytophthora infestans

Nineteen isolatesof Phytophthora infestans from potatoes growing in the Nile Delta were analyzed. All isolates were of the A1 mating type. Intraspecific isozyme variation was evaluated for all isolates. Using 15 selected enzymes, 215 electrophoretic phenotypes were identified among 19 isolates examined. Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase yielded the greatest number of electrophoretic phenotypes. Based on isozyme analysis, these isolates were subsequently divided into three distinct groups. Feulgen cytophotometry was used to measure the DNA content of individual zoospore nuclei. The distribution of DNA content in the Egyptian isolates was similar to that previously observed in isolates from other regions of the world.     

Characterization of Enterobacter cloacae and E. sakazakii by electrophoretic polymorphism of acid phosphatase, esterases, and glutamate, lactate and malate dehydrogenases

Acid phosphatase, esterases, and glutamate, lactate and malate dehydrogenases of 34 strains of Enterobacter cloacae and 22 strains of Enterobacter sakazakii were analysed by horizontal polyacrylamide agarose gel electrophoresis and by isoelectrofocusing in thin-layer polyacrylamide gel. The two species could be separated on the basis of distinct electrophoretic patterns of all enzymes analysed. Glutamate dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase were detected exclusively in E. cloacae, whereas esterase bands were more intensively stained in E. sakazakii. For each species, two zymotypes could be distinguished, on the basis of electrophoretic mobilities of malate dehydrogenase and banding patterns of esterase for E. cloacae, and by both isoelectric point and electrophoretic mobilities of an esterase and of lactate and malate dehydrogenases for E. sakazakii. The high degree of enzyme polymorphism within the two species permitted precise identification of strains. The variations in electrophoretic patterns might therefore provide useful epidemiological markers.     

Genetic structure of natural populations of the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Rhizobium meliloti.

The genetic structure of populations of the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Rhizobium meliloti was examined by analysis of electrophoretically demonstrable allelic variation in 14 metabolic, presumably chromosomal, enzyme genes. A total of 232 strains were examined, most of which were isolated from southwest Asia, where there is an unsurpassed number of indigenous host species for R. meliloti. The collection consisted of 115 isolates recovered from annual species of Medicago in Syria, Turkey, and Jordan; 85 isolates cultured from two perennial species of Medicago (M. sativa [alfalfa] and M. falcata) in northern Pakistan and Nepal; and 32 isolates collected at various localities in North and South America, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, largely from M. sativa. Fifty distinctive multilocus genotypes (electrophoretic types [ETs]) were identified, and cluster analysis revealed two primary phylogenetic divisions separated at a genetic distance of 0.83. By the criterion of genetic differentiation conventionally applied in defining species limits among members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and certain other bacteria, the two primary divisions of R. meliloti represent distinct evolutionary species. Division A included 35 ETs represented by 209 strains from the eastern Mediterranean basin, northern Pakistan, Nepal, and various other localities worldwide. This division contained the nine commercial alfalfa inoculant strains examined. Division B included 15 ETs represented by 23 isolates, 21 of which were isolated from annual medic species growing in previously uninoculated soils in the eastern Mediterranean basin. The two remaining strains in division B, both representing the same ET, were isolated in the United States and Australia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Genetic structure of natural populations of the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Rhizobium meliloti.

The genetic structure of populations of the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Rhizobium meliloti was examined by analysis of electrophoretically demonstrable allelic variation in 14 metabolic, presumably chromosomal, enzyme genes. A total of 232 strains were examined, most of which were isolated from southwest Asia, where there is an unsurpassed number of indigenous host species for R. meliloti. The collection consisted of 115 isolates recovered from annual species of Medicago in Syria, Turkey, and Jordan; 85 isolates cultured from two perennial species of Medicago (M. sativa [alfalfa] and M. falcata) in northern Pakistan and Nepal; and 32 isolates collected at various localities in North and South America, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, largely from M. sativa. Fifty distinctive multilocus genotypes (electrophoretic types [ETs]) were identified, and cluster analysis revealed two primary phylogenetic divisions separated at a genetic distance of 0.83. By the criterion of genetic differentiation conventionally applied in defining species limits among members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and certain other bacteria, the two primary divisions of R. meliloti represent distinct evolutionary species. Division A included 35 ETs represented by 209 strains from the eastern Mediterranean basin, northern Pakistan, Nepal, and various other localities worldwide. This division contained the nine commercial alfalfa inoculant strains examined. Division B included 15 ETs represented by 23 isolates, 21 of which were isolated from annual medic species growing in previously uninoculated soils in the eastern Mediterranean basin. The two remaining strains in division B, both representing the same ET, were isolated in the United States and Australia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Functional grouping of thermophilic Bacillus strains using amplification profiles of the 16S-23S internal spacer region

Molecular and biochemical assays were used to determine the identification of thermophilic bacilli isolated from New Zealand milk powder. One hundred and forty one isolates of thermophilic bacilli were classified into six species using biochemical profiles. Geobacillus stearothermophilus represented 56% of the isolates. All isolates were also analysed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, with 45 types identified. Amplification of the 16S-23S rDNA internal spacer region produced two to eight amplification products per strain. The patterns from gel electrophoresis of the internal spacer region amplicons formed two major groupings suggesting the possibility of two distinct species. Partial sequences of 16S rDNA from representatives from each group were compared with sequences in GeneBank and were found to match the 16S rDNA sequences of B. flavothermus and G. thermoleovorans. Primers were designed for these species and used to screen an arbitrary selection of 59 of the dairy isolates. This enabled the identification of 28 isolates as B. flavothermus and 31 isolates as Geobacillus species and these appear to be the predominant isolates in the New Zealand milk powder samples examined. Comparison of the fragment pattern generated by amplification of the 16S-23S rDNA internal spacer region is a simple method to differentiate thermophilic Bacillus species associated with the dairy industry.     

Genetic Diversity Among Iranian Isolates of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn Anastomosis Group1 Subgroups Based on Isozyme Analysis and Total Soluble Protein Pattern

Rhizoctonia solani is a destructive fungal pathogen with a wide host range. The R. solani complex species includes several divergent groups delimited by affinities for hyphal anastomosis. In this study, genetic variation among 20 isolates of R. solani anastomosis group 1 (AG1) subgroups (AG1‐IA and AG1‐IB) collected from Mâzandaran province, Iran, and standard isolates of these subgroups, was determined by isozyme analysis and total soluble protein profile. Mycelial protein pattern and isozyme analysis were studied using denaturing and non‐denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. A total of 15 enzyme systems were tested, among which six enzymes including esterase, alkaline phosphatase, superoxide dismutase, octanol dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and mannitol dehydrogenase generated distinct and reproducible results. The soluble protein patterns were similar among the R. solani isolates examined; however, minor differences in banding pattern were observed between the two subgroups. In isozyme analysis, a total of 64 electrophoretic phenotypes were detected for all six enzymes used. Based on cluster analysis and similarity matrix, the fungal isolates were divided into two genetically distinct groups of I and II consistent with the previously reported AG1‐IA and AG1‐IB subgroups in AG1. Group I represented all isolates belonging to AG1‐IA subgroup, whereas group II represented all isolates belonging to AG1‐IB subgroup. Results from isozyme analysis suggest that the subgrouping concept within AGs is genetically based.     

Clonality and recombination in genetically differentiated subgroups of Cryptococcus gattii

Cryptococcus gattii is a pathogenic yeast that together with Cryptococcus neoformans causes cryptococcosis in humans and animals. High numbers of viable C. gattii propagules can be obtained from certain species of Australian Eucalyptus camaldulensis trees, and an epidemiological link between Eucalyptus colonization and human exposure has been proposed. However, the highest prevalence of C. gattii cryptococcosis occurs in Papua New Guinea and in regions of Australia where the eucalypt species implicated to date are not endemic. This study investigated the population structure of three geographically distinct clinical and veterinary populations of C. gattii from Australia and Papua New Guinea. All populations that consisted of a genotype found frequently in Australia (VGI) were strongly clonal and were highly differentiated from one another. Two populations of the less common VGII genotype from Sydney and the Northern Territory had population structures inferring recombination. In addition, there was some evidence of reduced genetic differentiation between these geographically remote regions. In a companion study presented in this issue, VGII isolates were overwhelmingly more fertile than those of the VGI genotype, giving biological support to the indirect assessment of sexual exchange. It appears that the VGI genotype propagates clonally on eucalypts in Australia and on an unknown substrate in Papua New Guinea, with infection initiated by an unidentified infectious propagule. VGII isolates are completing their life cycles and may be dispersed via sexually produced basidiospores, which are also likely to initiate respiratory infection.     

Geographically diverse Australian isolates of Melissococcus pluton exhibit minimal genotypic diversity by restriction endonuclease analysis

Melissococcus pluton, the causative agent of European foulbrood is an economically significant disease of honey bees (Apis mellifera) across most regions of the world and is prevalent throughout most states of Australia. 49 Isolates of M. pluton recovered from diseased colonies or honey samples in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria were compared using SDS-PAGE, Western immunoblotting and restriction endonuclease analyses. DNA profiles of all 49 geographically diverse isolates showed remarkably similar AluI profiles although four isolates (one each from Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria) displayed minor profile variations compared to AluI patterns of all other isolates. DNA from a subset of the 49 Australian and three isolates from the United Kingdom were digested separately with the restriction endonucleases CfoI, RsaI and DraI. Restriction endonuclease fragment patterns generated using these enzymes were also similar although minor variations were noted. SDS-PAGE of whole cell proteins from 13 of the 49 isolates from different states of Australia, including the four isolates which displayed minor profile variations (AluI) produced indistinguishable patterns. Major immunoreactive proteins of approximate molecular masses of 21, 24, 28, 30, 36, 40, 44, 56, 60, 71, 79 and 95 kDa were observed in immunoblots of whole cell lysates of 22 of the 49 isolates and reacted with rabbit hyperimmune antibodies raised against M. pluton whole cells. Neither SDS-PAGE or immunoblotting was capable of distinguishing differences between geographically diverse isolates of M. pluton. Collectively these data confirm that Australian isolates of M. pluton are genetically homogeneous and that this species may be clonal. Plasmid DNA was not detected in whole cell DNA profiles of any isolate resolved using agarose gel electrophoresis.     

Characterization of diversity in Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato by sequence analysis of two gene introns, mtDNA and intron RFLPs, and mating compatibility

A diverse collection of isolates identified as Colletotrichum acutatum, including a range of fruit-rot and foliar pathogens, was examined for mtDNA RFLPs and RFLPs and sequence variation of a 900-bp intron of the glutamine synthetase (GS) gene and a 200-bp intron of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) gene. RFLPs of mtDNA, RFLPs of the 900-bp GS intron and sequence analysis of each intron identified the same seven distinct molecular groups, or clades, within C. acutatum sensu lato. Sequence analysis produced highly concordant tree topologies with definitive phylogenetic relationships within and between the clades. The clades might represent phylogenetically distinct species within C. acutatum sensu lato. Mating tests also were conducted to assess sexual compatibility with tester isolates known to outcross to form the teleomorph Glomerella acutata. Mating compatibility was identified within one clade, C, and between two phylogenetically distinct clades, C and J4. The C clade represented isolates from a wide range of hosts and geographic origins. J4 clade contained isolates from Australia or New Zealand recovered from fruit rot and pine seedlings with terminal crook disease. That isolates in two phylogenetically distinct clades were capable of mating suggests that genetic isolation occurred before reproductive isolation. No other isolates were sexually compatible with the mating testers, which also were in groups C and J4. Certain clades identified by mtDNA and intron analysis (D1, J3 and J6) appeared to represent relatively host-limited populations. Other clades (C1, F1 and J4) contained isolates from a wide range of hosts. Isolates described as C. acutatum f. sp. pineum were clearly polyphyletic.     

Phenetic relationships among varanid lizards based upon comparative electrophoretic data and karyotypic analyses

Comparative electrophoretic phenotypes of 18 of the 32 species of the lizard genus Varanus have been determined for four proteins. The animals studied were representative of species from Africa, Israel, Southeast Asia and Australia. Malate dehydrogenase (A₂) exhibited a single phenotype throughout. Lactate dehydrogenase (B₄) showed four distinctive electrophoretic forms which grouped the various subgenera as follows: (1) Polydaedalus, Empagusia (African); (2) Psammosaurus (Israel); (3) three species of Varanus, V. gouldii, V. spenceri, V. mertensi (Australian); (4) Dendrovaranus, Indovaranus (Southeast Asian), other Varanus species, Odatria (Australian). Electrophoretic and previously reported karyotypic data were used to interpret the phylogenetic relationships as well as the mode and direction of evolution of these animals. In particular, the results questioned the reality of the subgenus Varanus as a taxonomic unit, since four distinct karyotypic forms and two LDH-B₄ phenotypes were observed for these animals, of which one belongs to another subgenus. Serum albumin and carbonic anhydrase phenotypes were of little use in deciding phenotypic groupings.     

Phylogeny and character evolution of endemic Australian carabid beetles of the genus Pamborus based on mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences

The phylogeny of carabid beetles in the genus Pamborus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), which is endemic to Australia, was studied using one nuclear (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) and two mitochondrial (16S ribosomal RNA and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5) gene sequences, with a cladistic analysis of morphological data. Fourteen species that were morphologically distinguishable were used as ingroup taxa, and Maoripamborus fairburni from New Zealand was assigned as the outgroup. Simultaneous analysis of three gene sequences resulted in well-resolved trees that were largely consistent with the cladogram generated from the morphological data. Based on a clock-like tree calibrated to the New Zealand-Australia/Antarctica split 85 million years ago, it was estimated that extant Pamborus differentiated after the Oligocene, primarily since the mid-Miocene with the onset of a more arid climate and forest fragmentation in Australia. The ancestral Pamborus may have been small, whereas medium to large Pamborus species with exaggerated male genitalia constitute derived groups and are now dominant.     

Evidence for geographic clusters: Molecular genetic differences among strains of Pythium insidiosum from Asia, Australia and the Americas are explored

Twenty-eight isolates of Pythium insidiosum and P. destruens from Asia, Australia and the Americas were compared on the basis of restriction fragment-length polymorphisms of the amplified ribosomal intergenic spacer. Comparison of band profiles yielded three distinct clusters and an isolate that did not fall into any of the clusters. Cluster I consisted of 16 isolates, all from the Americas (Costa Rica, Brazil, Haiti, United States). Cluster II consisted of seven isolates from Asia (India, Thailand, Japan, Papua New Guinea) and Australia, including the two isolates of P. destruens. This cluster also included a United States isolate from a human who might have contracted an infection of P. insidiosum by contact with food from the Middle East. Cluster III was most distantly related to the other two clusters and consisted of two isolates from Thailand and one from the United States. The isolate excluded from all three clusters was from a spectacled bear in a zoo in the United States. These results indicate that all the isolates are more closely related to each other than to any other Pythium species and thus indeed might be one species, but they also point to geographical variants. Cluster III and Isolate M18 are so distant from the others that they might prove to be separate species. Knowledge of intraspecific variability in P. insidiosum might be important for the management of pythiosis in mammals.     

Comparative electrophoretic profiles of esterases, and of glutamate, lactate and malate dehydrogenases, from Aeromonas hydrophila, A. caviae and A. sobria

Esterases, and glutamate, lactate and malate dehydrogenases of 64 Aeromonas hydrophila, A. caviae and A. sobria strains, were analysed by polyacrylamide agarose gel electrophoresis and by thin layer isoelectrofocusing. On the basis of the isoelectric points of malate dehydrogenase from the three species and the mobility of lactate dehydrogenase from A. sobria, 8 species specific zymotypes were defined: three for A. hydrophila strains, three for A. caviae strains and two for A. sobria strains. These zymotypes correlated with previously established DNA hybridization groups. The other electrophoretic data were found to be less useful for distinction between A. hydrophila and A. sobria strains, but supported differentiation into zymotypes for A. caviae strains. The two-dimensional electrophoretic profile established by plotting isoelectric point against electrophoretic mobility of the major esterase illustrated the degree of enzyme polymorphism among the strains of the three species. Variation in electrophoretic patterns within A. hydrophila and A. caviae might provide useful epidemiological markers.